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People who suffer from TMJ or have problems with day- and nighttime clenching are often faced with limited choices for solutions to their problems. <\/p>\nPeople who suffer from TMJ or have problems with day- and nighttime clenching are often faced with limited choices for solutions to their problems. <\/p>\n
Frequently, dentists will immediately go to the mouth guard as the go-to solution to the problem. <\/p>\n
However, guards can be expensive and only treat the symptoms of TMJ and clenching. But a new device aims at treating the problems at their source and might even replace the use of guards down the road.<\/p>\n
Makers of a new biofeedback unit worn on the forehead believe they may have found an alternative to expensive, custom-fit guards for treating TMJ and also for clenchers.<\/p>\n
The device senses movement in the temporalis muscles in the temples, and can emit a signal when this happens. The signal is designed to cause the person wearing the headband to stop clenching and moving the jaw.<\/p>\n
Proponents of the biofeedback device say that it is effective for more than 50% of users and unlike mouth guards, come with an actual guarantee.<\/p>\n
Mouth guards can be frustrating for people since they can be very expensive and don\u2019t last very long. People with serious clenching issues or severe TMJ can go through a guard in a matter of weeks as the guard gets chewed up.<\/p>\n
Additionally, chunks of resin can become dislodged and swallowed, presenting a choking hazard. The idea of digesting bits of chemicals this way can be off-putitng for most.<\/p>\n
The biofeedback headband is worn externally and presents no such danger, but many who have used it still wind up needing other treatments anyway.<\/p>\n