SmartGuard Testimonials

Hello Dr. Spainhower,

I would like to thank you for sending me the SmartGuard Night Guard. I have suffered from TMJ for many years and have used expensive bite guards that have been made by dentist. They have to be replaced quite often for me because my bite changes frequently and it gets really expensive. I am a tonsil cancer survivor and also suffer from a limited jaw opening as a result of radiation therapy. I have been experiencing jaw pain, neck pain, and headaches for over 13 years now.

I started using the SmartGuard a few weeks ago and experienced relief from my jaw pain and tension pains in my neck after using the Night Guard for just a few hours. My headaches completely disappeared. The process of custom fitting the Night Guard was quick and easy. Although the Night Guard is somewhat thicker than my usual hard plastic bite guard my dentist makes it took only a few hours to get used to wearing the it and now I am quite comfortable while wearing the night guard. I would like to thank you for providing me with an effective, comfortable, and affordable alternative to relieving my TMJ related pain.

Sincerely,
Charlotte Glaze

Dear Dr. Spainhower!

I apologize for the delay in writing you, but I wanted to be sure I
gave the SmartGuard a good test period before giving my opinion.

And..... It is wonderful! Thank you so much.... At first I was worried about the small size, but after the simple molding process and break-in period it stays put as it should. The small size eliminates one of the main problems I have had with mouthguards before this:GAGGING! Before the SmartGuard I was unable to keep anything in for long enough to do any good. The SmartGuard stays in place, doesn't irritate my gums and provides a stable base for my teeth. All without making me gag.

Finally I am finding some relief from my TMJ disorder, which is casued mostly by stress grinding. Because it is so small and comfortable I feel confident wearing it at work, a busy office....which is another place I find myself grinding/gritting my teeth. I have tried just about every other OTC mouth guard at all range of prices, both the moId-it-yourself and the adjustable kind. None come close to the comfort and relief I am experiencing with SmartGuard. I haven't gone to the dentist for a custom fit guard because of the expense (which it isn't coverd by my insurance), but now I don't feel that I need to.

Andrea Johnston
The Pacific Northwest

I live in my own little world...but that's OK, they know me here.

I have been wearing my new TMJ SmartGuard for about one month now and I definitely have to say that it beats my other, custom-made, mouth guard hands down. The first noticeable difference I experienced with the SmartGuard was that it immediately felt more comfortable in my mouth. This is because the SmartGuard is smaller and less cumbersome than my custom-made guard. I didn’t expect a self-molded guard to fit as well as one modeled by a dentist but in fact it fit very well and has not fallen out of my mouth once since I started wearing it.

Another thing that I prefer about SmartGuard’s design is that his guard prevents my back teeth from touching at ALL, which my other custom-guard does not, so with the Smartguard I am prevented not only from grinding the enamel off my teeth but also from clenching my jaw at the back which I believe is the reason I no longer have any jaw or joint pain. It’s great to wake up in the morning feeling less tension in my face and to be experiencing fewer headaches as a result! I’m surprised and pleased that someone has created such an affordable alternative to the custom-made guard.

Michelle R.

 

The night guard has been very helpful. I have tried other night guards that didn't stay in my mouth because they were not "thick" enough after being heat-set.

This night guard is very sturdy and stays in my mouth.  My husband told me I don't snore when I have it in, so he loves that I am wearing it.  I clinch my teeth during sleep, and this night guard keeps me from doing that.  It has relieved the pressure a considerable amount.

I am so glad for this solution that is not very costly.

Thanks,

Leah Geary

Dr Spainhower,

The night guard works great.  I first went to buy a football night guard at the Sporting goods store to protect by teeth from gettng crushed as I clench my teeth a lot and my teeth have been crumbling, but when I heard that you recommended theSmartGuard, I tried it. And now I don't have any headaches anymore, and I've had chronic headaches for years and years.

I've had headaches 24/7.  Doctors have treated me with medications, pain killers, and muscle relaxers, and even trigger point injections in my back.  I haven't had a headache since I started wearing your night guard.  It's nice not to have drugs in me, I'm not loopy anymore, and I wake up about 3 hours earlier because now I sleep more soundly.  I usually am dragging in the morning because I don't sleep well with my headaches.  I used to sleep in until 9-10 O'clock in the morning, but now I wake up at 6 am...refreshed.

It is so nice.  It's comfortable too, the guard just knows where to stay, it fits good and stays in my mouth all night.  It doesn't fall out.  I'm thankful, thank you.

Misty Ruddell

Before wearing the SmartGuard, I would wake up in the middle of the night with a headache; during the day I had to apply warm corn bags to my jaw and often had to take IBprofen to ease the pain.  I went to a TMJ specialist and was told I needed to wear 2 appliances, 1 for day and 1 for night, for 3-6 months, braces for an overbite and more appliances for the rest of my life.  Total cost $,8000 to $10,000.  No mention of exercises or physical therapy.

The first night wearing the night guard I didn’t have any more headaches.  After 2 nights my jaw didn’t ache during the day between meals.  Today I am working on incorporating exercises into my daily routine.  Thank you Dr. Spainhower for caring about those of us who suffer everyday with TMJ.

Sincerely,

Donna Brudjar

Over the years I have seen several different dentists and doctors for my TMJ problems.  I have even tried different night guards that I bought from local stores which only made the TMJ worse.

It wasn't until I tried the SmartGuard that I finally found something that helped. My TMJ has grown increasingly worse over the years and with the clicking, locking, and severe pain I was willing to try anything new. The night guards instructions were very easy to understand and I had no problems molding it to my mouth. The first night I used it I was nervous because I wasn't used to having my upper and lower teeth separated so much but the next morning I was very pleased to see that after only one night the clicking had really reduced.

One of the nicest things was being able to yawn a little wider without being in severe pain. I had no problems keeping the guard in my mouth all night long. The gums behind my front upper  teeth were a little sore and that was the only thing that bothered me. There is a definite improvement after having worn it only 8 hours. I still have some popping in the joint but am excited to see improvement every time I use it. The long term benefits of using this device is very exciting.

Thank you Dr. Spainhower!

Sharon Clements

Dr. Spainhower,

While I thought the $50 was a bit pricey for this product, I can say that it was money well spent. I use the SmartGuard for TMJ. I was diagnosed with TMJ by my dentist, but was unable to come up with the $3,700 he wanted to make appliances. Using SmartGuard has helped my pain tremendously. It took a few weeks, but as long as I was consistently wearing it, I noticed a huge difference.

The one bit of advice I would give is to prepare the potential customers of the possibilty of stiffness and moderate pain that will be felt when first using it. With the jaw being adjusted, it made me think that the appliance was doing more harm than good, but I decided to stay the course and am happy with the results.

Sincerely,

Joseph L.

Dr Spainhower,

I have been using the Smartguard for a month now and I am so pleased.  I have tried so many guards and this is the first that has worked for me.  I did experience tmj, headaches, ringing in ears, vertigo, neck pain and nausea throughout my days but not now.  I strongly suggest this Smartguard for anyone who grinds or clenches.  Who would have ever thought that this odd looking guard would have given me back my normal life?

Thank you so much,

Shannon B.

Hi

Yes the main purpose is to reduce tmj symptoms and protect my teeth.

I just got the guard 2 days ago and I already feel better.

The only thing Im struggling with is my bottom front teeth get sore and I get pools of saliva running out of my mouth.  but I have a feeling once I get used to it this will improve.  I used to have the NTI mouthguard. I kept chewing thru it and had to modify it all the time.

Thanks

Sheldon

Dr. Spainhower:

First, the guard has done everything I wanted and then some. I could feel the bite adjustment happening early on, and the jaw pain (relatively mild for the most part) went away quickly (four days or so and it was totally gone). Oddly enough, the first day after I wore it, I had the worst jaw pain episode I've ever had.

I have absolutely no idea why that happened or if it was at all related to the SmartGuard, but the next day after the pain was substantially reduced and again after four days or so I had no jaw pain.

The ear stuffiness was slower going, but I felt progress after a few days. After 2-3 weeks or so, it was very, very mild (I had to think hard to even notice it) and after six weeks or so, it was gone (or at least reduced 95%).

I was even more impressed because here in Virginia it's smack in the middle of allergy season, which usually causes all sorts of sinus problems. That's why I bought another - I could feel the ears coming back slightly (very slightly, but I am sensitive to it) and in case it was the guard wearing out I wanted to have another.

Also, for what it's worth, I found it very comfortable - I never had a problem sleeping with it and it never fell out. No sharp edges or anything either (and a lot of guards end up having little edges here and there that will cut or irritate your mouth if you don't trim them). So altogether I've been extremely pleased - the thing works almost like magic.

I had become used to stretching my jaw almost subconsciously and now I feel no soreness or stiffness when I do it (which is out of habit and not necessity).

Also, even though denture cleaner tablets are very cheap, I alternated between rinsing with hot water and submerging in denture cleaner. It's barely even discolored and doesn't really show signs of use. Good care, I think, but it's also a high quality piece.

As for the fork, my first attempt was with moderate force and it came off immediately in the water. The second time, I jammed the fork in as far as it would go (it didn't go all the way through) and while it seemed stuck on there pretty well after one or two seconds in the water it slid right off.

I liked the idea of submerging it, even though the first one floated (upside down) and I got a great fit on that one. Still, I must have done something wrong.  I just hope I can save somebody else the trouble - it's probably a good idea to tell people to stick the fork all the way through. I was a little unclear as to how much pressure was needed - depending on the fork, you can encounter resistance pretty quickly even though you have a good ways to go to get through. I'll let you know how it goes next time.

Thanks for all your help and especially for the quick response to this. I really do appreciate it and I have to say I am very happy with the relief I get from the SmartGuard.

Thanks, Eric