It is estimated that about 10% of the population suffer from bruxism. This disease is a movement disorder of masticatory system that results in involuntary grinding of the teeth and the clenching of the jaw during sleep as well as wakefulness. Tooth clenching or grinding during sleep can result in abnormal wear patterns of the occlusal surface, fractures in the teeth, morning headaches and facial muscle pain. The most common method of bruxism management is based on minimizing the abrasion of tooth surfaces by wearing a bite-guard. There is no definitive clinical diagnostic method for assessing bruxism. Reliable, easy to use devices for long term continuous monitoring of bruxism are not available.

A wireless pressure sensing bite guard has been developed for monitoring the progress of bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep); as well as protecting the teeth from damages. For sensing the pressure effectively in the restricted space and hostile environment, a pressure sensitive polymer composite has been fabricated and encapsulated into a conventional bite guard which is safe for in-situ applications. The device is anticipated to give real-time data through wireless data transmission and to have a long working life (weeks). A microcontroller-based electronic circuit has been built in-house for data collection and transmission. A low power approach is configured to increase the working life of the device. This device is a useful tool for controlling and monitoring of bruxism.