Philosophy | Instructions | Satisfied Customers An analogy would be the foot problems some people have that make it impossible for them to wear OTC shoes. Special orthopedic shoes must be constructed for them. The same is true for the hard and soft tissues of your mouth. We have made every effort in the design and manufacturing of the SleepRight® dental guard to produce a one size fits all product requiring no boiling, messy powder-liquid mixes or time off from work. Many of our customers have no problem keeping it in, even from the first night, especially after reading and following the simple instructions. They wear it at least a ½ -1 hr. “before” going to sleep as recommended. However, it is common knowledge in orthodontic practices that many orthodontic patients find their removable intra-oral appliances on the bed when they awaken, especially during the first few nights. Everyone’s learning curve is different because everyone is different physiologically. If it does come out at night, it usually means you are not clenching or grinding on the bite pads, hence you are well on your way to stopping the clenching and grinding at night. Those who do not follow our simple but very effective philosophy, never learn to control the clenching and grinding, so the appliance is held firmly in place throughout the night. The SleepRight® protects their teeth and joints, but they never get control of the real problem.How do I know which dental guard is best for me? The first thing you need to determine is whether you are going to wear the SleepRight® dental guard during the day or at night. The SleepRight® Low-Profile is recommended for adults with sensitive gums or a small mouth. The SleepRight® Select design will fit most individuals and it is recommended for sleep. The SleepRight® Select has larger, high profile wings on the sides to increase tissue retention during sleep. The SleepRight® state of the art adjustable technology is the only product available on the market that offers the end user multiple adjustments without cutting, boiling or messy mixes to customize the appliance to their personal anatomy. If after trying the SleepRight® Select for sleep, you want to try the Low-Profile SleepRight®, we will gladly exchange one for the other for you. All you have to do is send the original purchase to us for an exchange. How does the SleepRight® dental guard differ from the dentist's guard? First, there are many different designs for dental guards available from the dental professional. Our SleepRight® dental guard is considered a posterior type splint / appliance, similar to many other posterior splints made in the dental office, without the much higher cost, of course. We find this type of model is much more user friendly…you know….less bulky, easier to breathe and talk with and you can ever drink without removing it. The SleepRight® was developed and designed by a specialist in dentistry after carefully studying hundreds of patients and the models of their teeth in the dental office. The SleepRight® Select will fit most individuals but the Low-Profile SleepRight® model was developed for daytime use and adults with a small mouth. Both have been modified and improved over time to include state of the art adjustable technology, found in no other product like it, at a reasonable cost for immediate delivery to the consumer. It comes with care and fitting instructions that includes pictures to make it very easy to follow. Once the instructions are read, it should take only a minute or two to fit the appliance. Additionally, you can have dental treatment or be in orthodontic treatment without having to buy a new appliance. Secondly, the SleepRight® uses natural tissue retention between your lips, cheeks and tongue to be held in place. There are no clasps that attach or fasten to the teeth to hold the appliance in place. You don’t need to bite down on it to hold it in place either. The SleepRight® is triple injection molded, to accommodate soft and hard tissues of the mouth. The bite pads, which slip comfortably between your teeth, are made of a hybrid plastic, which makes it very resilient and durable without being like hard acrylic or soft mouth guard material. The SleepRight’s® state of the art adjustable technology is the only product available on the market that offers the end user multiple adjustments without cutting, boiling or messy mixes to customize the appliance to their personal anatomy. Finally, dental guards, in general, are made for the same reason; to protect your teeth and jaw joints. Really, any dental guard will do, if that’s all you want from a guard. However, one of the most important differences is the philosophy that we subscribe to and include with each SleepRight® we send out. It is a clinically proven way to help you learn “how” to control and even stop your clenching and teeth grinding, especially if your clenching and teeth grinding may be the source of your jaw problems. For a reasonable fee, you can change a bad habit into a good one and avoid the stressful wear and tear on your teeth, which is cosmetically undesirable, as well as protect your jaw. My young child grinds his/her teeth very badly. Will the SleepRight® dental guard work for them? If your child is 12 years or older, then the response to your question is yes. However, we do not recommend this product for children under 12 years of age unless prescribed by a physician. The reason is simple. Our SleepRight® dental guard comes with the understanding that you or your child, while wearing the appliance, will make the commitment to eliminate or control the clenching and grinding habit. In medical and dental terms, this is called bruxism. We don’t want anyone to be dependent on a dental guard forever. You see...we have developed a philosophy, which has been clinically tried and tested that will help the astute user learn how to change a bad habit. It’s a learning process we call the cycle of competence . Awareness, Accountability and Behavior Modification are the three simple but very important phases to the learning process. This philosophy is included with each SleepRight® purchase and our technical staff is always here to assist you in your quest to eliminate this condition. Our experience over the years has dictated the age limit for use of this product. Yes, we have had a number of children under 12 years of age that have done quite well, even as young as 6 years old, however, they have been the exception and not the rule. You may want to seek the advice of your dentist for your child’s teeth grinding problem if they are under the age of 12 years. Can I wear the SleepRight® dental guard both at night and during the day? The response to your question is yes, however, you must adhere to the recommendations printed on the package and with the instructions …”not recommended to be worn for more than 12 hours continuously in any 24 hour period”. You cannot eat while wearing the SleepRight® dental guard so it is unlikely you would be able to wear it all day long. Statistics show most people, on average, sleep approximately 6 – 8 hours each night so they would easily fall under the 12 hour limit. . How long does the SleepRight® dental guard last? That’s a very good question but one that is very difficult to answer. First let me lay a little foundation for our response to your question. Enamel, which is the outer coating on your teeth, and diamonds are two of the hardest known substances that occur natural in nature. If you have a problem clenching and grinding your teeth, which is called bruxism in medical and dental terms, then you will likely see excessive wearing of the tooth enamel, chipping, fractures and maybe even loosening of the teeth. Experience in dentistry has shown us that there is absolutely nothing we can manufacture that cannot be destroyed in the mouth. Individuals who are chronic bruxers (clenchers and grinders) have worn down everything from the composite and amalgam filling material being used today to complete coverage caps such as gold or porcelain crowns. In general, dental guards are made of hard acrylic plastic or very soft mouth guard materials. Our SleepRight® dental guard is triple injection molded, to accommodate soft and hard tissues of the mouth. The bite pads, which slip comfortably between your teeth, are made of a hybrid plastic, which makes it very resilient and durable without being like hard acrylic or soft mouth guard material. The resiliency is the key, because it resists the excessive muscle activity by pushing the teeth apart. This will fatigue the muscles quickly and it is quite normal to have muscle soreness. This is called a neuromuscular event which triggers a cerebral response, which is your brain telling you that muscles are sore therefore stop the activity. In a perfect world, all it would take is one time for a person to quickly learn that they must keep their “lips together and teeth apart” to initiate the muscle relaxation process. If the teeth don’t touch the muscles are not active, hence you have control over the muscle activity. Don’t be fooled, the teeth have little to do with this condition…. it is the “muscles”, they are at the root of the problem. Well then, the next question is, how long will it take for a person to learn how to control the muscles. This learning process we call the cycle of competence has three simple but very effective phases, awareness, accountability and behavior modification. This philosophy is included with each SRDG purchase and our technical staff is always here to assist you in your quest to eliminate this neuromuscular disorder. So it really depends on how quick you learn to keep your “lips together and teeth apart” consistently. We know everyone’s learning curve is different because everyone is different physiologically. For those who learn quickly, the SleepRight® can last indefinitely. For those who take longer, it’s a battle between the manmade materials and the 250 lbs per square inch bite forces present in the human mouth that can potentially destroy those materials. Your commitment to our philosophy will certainly extend the life of our manmade materials. Just think how long you can extend the life and health of all your teeth as well as your jaw joints if you can control the muscle activity. We are not dodging your question; we just cannot give you a clear and precise answer. It’s like trying to answer, how long will this pair of shoes last or how long will my tires last on my car. It is very different for everyone. One great thing about our products are the 3-month and 6-month replacement warranties. How long do I need to wear the SleepRight® dental guard? The average time is different for everyone because everyone is different physiologically. It depends on your learning curve and how fast you have made the transition from bruxing to “LTTA”. We have testimonials from hundreds of customers who were successful in controlling the nocturnal clenching and grinding in just a few weeks while others went through a few dental guards before their learning process was complete and effective. The more you use the SleepRight® “ before” going to bed the more time you will have to use your brainpower to concentrate on LTTA. If I were going to make an educated guess to predict the average time someone uses the dental guard, I would have to say approximately 4 to 12 weeks. Why can't I wear the SleepRight® dental guard for more than 12 hours in a 24 hour period? You cannot eat while wearing the SleepRight® dental guard so it is unlikely you would be able to wear it all day long. Statistics show most people, on average, sleep approximately 6 – 8 hours each Dental so they would easily fall under the 12-hour limit. Please remember, this is not a custom made device. The SleepRight® uses natural tissue retention between your lips, cheeks and tongue to be held in place. There are no clasps that attach or fasten to the teeth to hold the appliance in place. We don’t want you to become so used to it that you forget your primary goal to concentrate on “lips together and teeth apart”. We also want you to have a rest break from having anything in your mouth. Each time you remove and replace your SleepRight®, you go through a small adjustment period, as it is re-introduced into your mouth. Each new experience adjusting to your appliance is a very important step in the first phase of the learning process necessary to eliminate the clenching and grinding habit… “awareness”, which is part of our philosophy. This break in the wearing cycle gives you an opportunity to evaluate your progress in the learning process to keep your “lips together and teeth apart”. We don’t want anyone to be dependent on a Dental guard forever. You see...we have developed a philosophy, which has been clinically tried and tested that will help the astute user learn how to change a bad habit. It’s a learning process we call the cycle of competence . Awareness, accountability and behavior modification are the three simple but very important phases to this learning process. This philosophy is included with each SRDG purchase and our technical staff is always here to assist you in your quest to eliminate the clenching and grinding habit. In medical and dental terms, this is called a neuromuscular disorder. My jaw feel like it is trying to realign itself for a while after I take the SleepRight® dental guard out. Is this normal? The direct response to your question is yes, it is normal. Let me explain. Generally, habitual clenching and grinding (C & G) from excessive muscle activity, referred to in medical and dental terms as bruxism, not only causes damage to the teeth, but also compresses the jaw joints. This joint compression, over time, may cause the jaw to shift to a more posterior position as the inclines of the outer surfaces of the lower front teeth rub against the inner inclines of the upper front teeth forcing the jaw backward. If the muscle activity is aggressive enough, you can wear down your back teeth further compressing the joint capsule. This is such a common problem that nearly 70 – 75% of our population is effected by this neuromuscular disorder. It can cause deterioration of the components and joint spaces in the jaw joint capsule. When you are wearing the SleepRight® Dental Guard, the joints are decompressed and if you have modified your behavior to control the muscle activity, the lower jaw will relax to a more physiologically healthy position with a small shift forward. This is the realignment you are referring to. You wouldn’t need an intra oral appliance if everything were ideal. When this happens, your front teeth may be the only teeth that touch as you attempt to slowly close down. This reflects a small soft tissue change that rebounds or returns the lower to it’s former position as you talk and eat. If you have not successfully developed a good habit of “lips together and teeth apart” (LTTA), your habitual C & G will again take over. As you wean yourself off the Dental guard, your self-taught protective mechanism is “ LTTA”, a habit that is now in your subconscious that no longer needs your conscious supervision or attendance. Your teeth and jaw joints are much healthier and your teeth do not suffer cosmetic damage from the constant C & G. I have been wearing the SleepRight® for one week and my jaw feels more painful than before. Is this normal? It is quite normal to experience jaw muscle fatigue and soreness initially, as explained in the instructions. This discomfort can even radiate to your TMJ. The natural tendency to bite down does not go away immediately. The habitual clenching and grinding cycle is now interrupted and challenged by the resilient hybrid bite pads of the SleepRight® dental guard. The adjustable and articulating bite pads that slip comfortably between your teeth are designed to re-establish the “natural’ freeway space that will protect your teeth from clenching and grinding day or night. To re-establish this healthier anatomical position means stretching the muscle fibers and decompressing the components of the TMJ capsule. This definitely can produce soreness even though it is a healing mechanism. It’s like having rotator cuff surgery on your shoulder. The rehab is very painful but a necessary process to regain full range of motion of your shoulder joint. This soreness is also related to your learning curve. The quicker you learn to keep your “lips together and teeth apart”, the sooner the muscles become relaxed and at ease which usually means you are well on your way to the healing process. We have thousands of customers who have stopped this neuromuscular disorder while wearing our SRDG. It takes a little work using your brainpower, but focusing on “lips together and teeth apart”, while in your conscious state of mind, is absolutely necessary to initiate the muscle relaxation process. It is a learning process. Then and only then will you succeed in changing or controlling the clenching and teeth grinding condition. So you see, the SleepRight® , is like a training device that will provide you with the protection you need to keep your teeth healthy and cosmetically desirable, while you concentrate your efforts on breaking the bad habit of clenching and grinding. Muscles at ease will allow the teeth to “rest” on the bite pads. So don’t bite down, although the natural urge to do so will test your concentration on the learning process of “lips together and teeth apart”. Any signs that the SleepRight® bite pads are not free of indentations or clean and pristine in texture, after wearing it, are indications that you must raise your level of concentration on “lips together and teeth apart” to a much higher level. You may want to review the instructions again for more information. Will the SleepRight® dental guard help with my sleep apnea? Will it help to move my jaw forward? The SRDG was designed by a specialist in dentistry to protect teeth and jaw joints from bruxism commonly referred to as clenching and grinding (C & G) teeth. Many individuals suffering from this destructive condition also suffer from snoring and sleep apnea. Although there are special appliances that can be made through your health care professional that are specifically designed to open the bite and pull the jaw forward, we have had a number of customers who have appreciated the reduction in snoring and sleep apnea when wearing our SleepRight® dental guard. It really depends on whether you clench and grind your teeth during sleep. Bruxism is a disorder that affects nearly 80% of the population. This over active muscle activity forces the lower jaw closed and usually backward. When sleeping on your back, gravity will exacerbate this backward movement of the jaw. This posterior repositioning of the lower jaw forces the tongue into the back of the throat, which dramatically reduces or totally closes off the airway. With a significant reduction in airway space, the posterior pharyngeal wall vibrates against the tongue causing a rattling sound in the back of the throat. The sound produced by this vibration is called snoring. If the airway is blocked completely, the individual may experience several episodes of sudden gasping for air to breathe, which severely interrupts the sleep cycle. Sleep deprivation can lead to difficulty staying awake during the day. The SleepRight®, by design, re-establishes your natural freeway space between your teeth. This is the space that should exist between your teeth while you are in repose, quite and at ease. We call this “lips together and teeth apart”. For an individual who is a chronic teeth grinder and clincher, opening the bite will usually result in the lower jaw posturing slightly downward and forward naturally, which also brings the tongue forward. This forward posture of the lower jaw and tongue opens the airway in the back of the throat, thereby reducing or eliminating the snoring. Breathing is much easier, especially if you change your sleep position from your back to your side, so restful sleep is possible without the constant awakening to gasp for air. All this translates into restful sleep, hence much easier to remain alert and awake during the day. Results may vary for each individual. The 30-day money back guarantee offers you the opportunity to give it a try. Remember, nearly 80% of the population have some form of bruxism so that is an issue which should be addressed as well as snoring or sleep apnea. Splintek® has also developed an anatomical, orthopedically designed, visco-elastic memory foam pillow called the SleepRight® Side Sleeping Pillow. It’s an integral part of the SleepRight® system that many of our customers are using for snoring and sleep apnea. The SleepRight® system comes in a special discount package. My jaw pops and sometimes locks, will the SleepRight® dental guard help eliminate that? There are many degrees of popping and clicking in the jaw joints. A popping sound or slight vibration felt in the lower jaw, which occurs almost immediately when slowly opening the jaw is considered the one with the best chance for healing and eliminating. The SleepRight® dental guard was designed by a specialist in dentistry to protect teeth and jaw joints from the neuromuscular disorder commonly referred to as clenching and grinding of the teeth. The SleepRight® , has adjustable and articulating bite pads that slip comfortably between your teeth and are designed to re-establish the “natural" freeway space that will protect your teeth from C & G day or night. Spacing your teeth apart also decompresses the jaw joints. This decompression is an unloading of the joints, much like wooden crutches allow you to take the weight off an injured knee or hip. This is called jaw splinting. Splints are appliances routinely used in the dental office as the first line of defense against chronic C & G’s. It is possible to allow the injured components of the joint capsule to heal when the jaw is unloaded using the SleepRight® , especially with an early click in the joint. Ultimately, the popping or clicking sound may be eliminated. Results vary for each individual. Although some success has been achieved using splints, much like the SleepRight® to eliminate jaw popping, the chances of resolving the clicking and popping decreases dramatically when the sounds occur much later during jaw opening. Whether the popping is eliminated or not unloading the joint capsule is a non-surgical way to promote healing in the joint. Unfortunately, if your jaw sometimes locks, it usually means the internal derangement in the joint capsule may have progressed beyond the popping or clicking stages and therefore may not have the ability to repair itself even with a splint. The SleepRight® can provide protection for your teeth and joints, which will protect them from future damage. We have developed a philosophy, which has been clinically tried and tested that will help the astute user learn how to control the muscle activity that may have caused the problem in the first place. Can I wear the SleepRight® dental guard with braces? Which guard would be best for me? The SleepRight® dental guard (SRDG) was designed by a specialist in dentistry to protect teeth and jaw joints from the neuromuscular disorder commonly referred to as clenching and grinding teeth. The doctor’s specialty is orthodontics. Many orthodontists have used our products in their offices. The SleepRight® is also used for many other applications in orthodontics depending on what the patients' needs are. If for example, you are diagnosed with an open bite, i.e. your front teeth are apart and do not touch when your back teeth are touching, the SleepRight® might be used to help strengthen your chewing muscles during treatment, because you are encouraged to bite down on the bite pads, especially during the day. Conversely, if you have a deep bite, where the front teeth severely overlap, many times seen as a result of over active chewing muscle activity, then you would be encouraged to concentrate on ‘lips together and teeth apart”, just the opposite of an open bite case. These are just two examples of how the SleepRight® is used in orthodontics. In response to your question, yes you can wear the SleepRight® while wearing braces. Many adults seem to prefer the standard model, because of the wings on the sides, which help to protect the cheeks from the irritation of the arch wires and brackets, especially while sleeping. The Low-Profile SleepRight® was designed for adults with sensitive gums or a small mouth. Obviously, one of your treatment objectives would be to improve your bite while straightening your teeth, especially if you have a neuromuscular habit of clenching and grinding. Will the SleepRight® help my tongue thrusting habit? No. However, indirectly…maybe. The SleepRight® dental guard has been used many times on patients in the dental or orthodontic office as an adjunct to other treatment modalities for closing an open bite (when the front teeth do not touch while the back teeth are touching). The causes of the open bite can be multifactorial. One obvious cause is a tongue thrusting habit. The tongue, which is the most versatile muscle in the body, has been measured to produce up to 6-8 lbs. of intra oral pressure. Teeth are generally moved in orthodontics using ounces of force. Hence, the tongue can literally push the front teeth apart, which in dental terms, is referred to as an open bite. If the open bite is not considered to be a skeletal discrepancy, then there is a chance the bite can be closed with an intra oral appliance, used in conjunction with braces. The SleepRight® is such an appliance that when used with braces can help to close the open bite. It is difficult, but with constant pressure over time, it can be done. Results will vary for each individual. I might add, unless the tongue thrusting habit is resolved, the results will likely be unstable and the open bite will return. Of course, the tongue must have a normal form in which to function. A consultation with an orthodontist will help you learn more about that. I don’t know if you have an open bite or not, but unless you retrain the tongue muscle to assume a normal resting posture and function properly during swallowing, you may have little chance of stopping the thrusting habit. We work with many doctors and I know many of them recommend their patients to a speech pathologist and/or a myofunctional therapist for evaluation of a tongue thrusting habit. I’m sorry that we cannot help you further, but we cannot advise you that our product would directly help your tongue thrusting habit. |
