Question 1

What is bruxism?

Accepted Answer

Bruxism is the medical term for teeth grinding and jaw clenching. It can occur during the day (awake bruxism) or at night (sleep bruxism). Research shows approximately 21% of adults experience sleep bruxism and 23% experience awake bruxism. It can lead to headaches, jaw pain, tooth wear, and other symptoms.

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. It's one of the most common chronic pain conditions worldwide.

Question 3

Are bruxism and TMD related?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they're often related. Up to 87% of TMD patients also experience bruxism. However, they're different conditions with different mechanisms. Bruxism can contribute to TMD, but TMD can also exist independently.

Question 4

What does the JawSense app do?

Accepted Answer

The JawSense app is a comprehensive self-management tool for bruxism and TMD. It includes personalized programs, evidence-based exercises, a symptom diary, educational content, and daily check-ins to help you understand and manage your condition.

Question 5

Is the app free?

Accepted Answer

The app includes a free program where you can try all premium features. After that, you keep limited access to core features for free — premium features are available via a subscription. Your subscription directly supports our small, mission-driven team's research and development of evidence-based bruxism and TMD treatments.

Question 6

Is the app evidence-based?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Every program, exercise, and recommendation in JawSense is grounded in clinical evidence. We follow the latest NHS guidelines for TMD management and use exercises from peer-reviewed research that have been tested in clinical trials.

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

How does the biofeedback device work?

Accepted Answer

The device uses surface EMG sensors to detect jaw muscle activity. When it detects clenching, it delivers gentle awareness cues — either vibration or electrical, depending on your preference. Over time, this repeated awareness-relaxation cycle aims to make the relaxation response more automatic.

Question 9

When will the device be available?

Accepted Answer

The device is currently in development and undergoing clinical validation. Join our waitlist to be among the first to know when it becomes available and to get early access.

Question 10

Is the device safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Safety is our top priority. JawSense ONE is a wellness device that uses gentle awareness cues (vibration or electrical, configurable) for awareness training. Our future neurostimulation device for sleep bruxism is being developed following MDR (EU) and FDA (US) medical device guidelines.

Question 11

Is biofeedback for bruxism supported by research?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Published research on biofeedback for bruxism spans over 25 years. Clinical trials on contingent electrical stimulation (Jadidi et al., 2008-2013) reported approximately 50-80% reduction in grinding episodes. Our neurostimulation device is based on this validated research. Our biofeedback awareness training is supported by separate published studies on EMG biofeedback (Crider & Glaros 1999, Vieira et al. 2023).

Question 12

Do night guards stop bruxism?

Accepted Answer

Night guards (occlusal splints) protect your teeth from wear, but they don't stop the grinding behaviour itself. Some research suggests they may even increase clenching activity in some people. That's why we focus on building awareness of the behaviour — not just protecting teeth.

Question 13

Can I manage sleep bruxism?

Accepted Answer

Sleep bruxism happens during micro-arousals in sleep, so conscious control is limited. JawSense ONE provides awareness cues during these lighter sleep phases to help prompt relaxation without fully waking you. For daytime clenching, the same cues help you notice and consciously relax. We're also developing a separate neurostimulation device that actively triggers your jaw's natural relaxation reflex during sleep — a complementary approach based on 25+ years of published research.

Question 14

How long does it take to see improvement?

Accepted Answer

This varies by individual and condition severity. Research shows that 75-90% of TMD patients improve with conservative self-management when started early. Our programs are typically 2-4 weeks, with many users noticing improvements within the first week.

Question 15

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 16

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 17

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 bborgdorff@jawsense.com.

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