Question 1

What is bruxism?

Accepted Answer

Bruxism is the clinical term for teeth grinding and jaw clenching — things a jaw does, during the day (awake bruxism) or during sleep. Roughly one in five adults grinds or clenches in their sleep — more when measured objectively — and around 20–30% clench while awake. It can contribute to headaches, jaw pain and tooth wear.

Question 2

What is TMD?

Accepted Answer

TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder) refers to conditions affecting the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. Symptoms include jaw pain, clicking or popping sounds, difficulty opening the mouth, and facial pain. Jaw problems are among the most common musculoskeletal pain conditions — second only to lower back pain.

Question 3

Are bruxism and TMD related?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they often travel together — a large share of people with TMD also grind or clench. They're different things with different mechanisms, though: bruxism can contribute to TMD, but TMD can also exist on its own.

Question 4

What does the JawSense app do?

Accepted Answer

The JawSense app is for doing something about bruxism and TMD yourself. It has personalised programmes, exercises from published trials, a symptom diary, plain explanations, and daily check-ins, so you understand your symptoms and can work on them.

Question 5

Is the app free?

Accepted Answer

The free part stays free: check-ins through the day, a symptom diary, the first exercises, and the basics of what your jaw does. No card, no trial that runs out. Premium adds the full exercise and education modules, with smart insights.

Question 6

Where do the programmes come from?

Accepted Answer

From published research. The exercises come from randomised trials and the mainstream clinical guidance for TMD (Lindfors 2019/2020 among them); and the check-ins do what Zani and Bracci described in their research: reporting what your jaw is doing, in the moment. Where we have no evidence of our own yet, we say so.

Question 7

Can the app replace my doctor or dentist?

Accepted Answer

No. JawSense is designed to complement professional care, not replace it. If your symptoms are severe, worsening, or you have concerns, please see a healthcare professional. We provide self-management tools that work alongside your healthcare team.

Question 8

Do I need the sensor, or is the app enough?

Accepted Answer

The app is enough for the half you are awake for, and it is free: awareness check-ins, a symptom and trigger diary, guided exercises and a resting position to come back to. What it cannot do is see the seven or eight hours you are asleep — there is nothing to notice when you are unconscious, and that is where most jaw activity happens. That part needs the sensor. Start with the app; add the wearable only if the awake half turns out not to be the problem.

Question 9

How does JawSense ONE work?

Accepted Answer

The sensor reads the electrical signal your jaw muscle gives off. When it detects clenching, it delivers a gentle cue — either vibration or a light pulse, depending on your preference. Over time, this repeated notice-and-release cycle aims to make letting go more automatic.

Question 10

When will JawSense ONE be available?

Accepted Answer

It's here — as a loan, not a purchase. The two-night Jaw Activity Assessment ships a JawSense ONE kit to your own bed (NL/BE now, the UK joining with our first UK batch), and the twelve-week Night Biofeedback Programme runs on the same sensor. You never buy hardware to get an answer.

Question 11

Is JawSense ONE safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. JawSense ONE gives a gentle cue — a vibration or a light pulse, you set the strength — and the strength is capped in the hardware at a level testers compare to a light flick on the forehead, or someone gently tugging your hair.

Question 12

Is biofeedback for bruxism supported by research?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The underlying approach builds on research that has been developing for decades. We don't quote other devices' trial figures as if they were ours — our own validation work is under way with university partners, and we'll publish it when it's done, including the limitations.

Question 13

Is JawSense a medical device?

Accepted Answer

The app and JawSense ONE are wellness products — CE and UKCA marked as consumer electronics, with three modes: Awareness Training, Tracking and Relaxation Support. They don't diagnose or treat any condition.

Question 14

Can it tell grinding, clenching and bracing apart?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it matters, because they do not respond to the same things. Grinding is rhythmic — the jaw moves, and it is the only one that makes a sound. Clenching is sustained, with the teeth held together. Bracing is the quiet one: the muscle is loaded but the teeth are not touching, so nothing wears down and nobody hears anything. Because the sensor reads the muscle rather than the teeth, all three show up, and the report separates them.

Question 15

How do I get into the biofeedback programme?

Accepted Answer

It starts with a measurement, not a checkout. The biofeedback is personalised to your own jaw rather than a preset, so we need two measured nights first — that is the Jaw Activity Assessment. If those nights come back quiet, we will tell you the programme is not worth your money. Cohorts are small and confirmed one at a time by a person, so the way in is the waitlist rather than an add-to-cart.

Question 16

Do night guards stop bruxism?

Accepted Answer

They protect your teeth from wear, which is what they were designed to do, and for a lot of people that is worth having. What they don't do is change the behaviour: the muscle still works, you just have a barrier between the teeth. That is why we measure the activity itself and coach it, rather than only protecting what it wears down.

Question 17

Can I do anything about grinding in my sleep?

Accepted Answer

Sleep bruxism happens during micro-arousals in sleep, so conscious control is limited. JawSense ONE can offer gentle awareness cues in those lighter phases — at sensory level, designed not to wake you. For daytime clenching, the same cues help you notice and consciously release. And because you can't feel the night, we'd rather measure it first — that's what the two-night Assessment is for.

Question 18

How long does it take to see improvement?

Accepted Answer

It varies — by person, and by what your jaw is actually doing. Exercises, habits and noticing are what the clinical guidance recommends first, and they help a great many people. Most people catch the clench sooner after 2–4 weeks of practice; lasting change is slower, so our programmes measure every night rather than promise.

Question 19

Who is behind JawSense?

Accepted Answer

JawSense was founded by Bas Borgdorff (CEO) and Carina van der Zee (CTO), who both experienced debilitating bruxism and TMD themselves. Everything we build is reviewed by multidisciplinary experts including physiotherapists, orofacial therapists, TMD specialists, and sleep scientists. We're a small, passionate team based in the UK, building the tools we wished existed when we were searching for answers.

Question 20

How can I contact you?

Accepted Answer

You can reach us at info@jawsense.com. We love hearing from our users—whether it's questions, feedback, or just to share your experience.

Question 21

Are you looking for research partners?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We're always interested in collaborating with researchers and clinicians. If you're interested in a potential research partnership, please reach out to info@jawsense.com — or start at our For Researchers page.

How can we help?

About Bruxism & TMD

About the JawSense App

About the JawSense Device

What you can do yourself

Company & Support

Two minutes to a clearer picture of what your jaw is doing.

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