🦷 Mondays with Mark: Stop Grinding & Snack Smarter

Welcome to this week’s edition of Mondays with Mark. Here’s what’s new this week…

1. Episode 04: How to Stop Grinding at Night 🎙

Grinding your teeth at night—sleep bruxism—is a common problem, and dentists have typically taken a teeth-protection first approach through night guards or TMJ splints.

As research emerges on sleep bruxism, we’re seeing a link between sleep-disordered breathing issues and nighttime grinding.

People who present as healthy are often told that they do not have sleep disorders, something I and my wife experienced firsthand as I discuss in my book, which is why it’s so important to advocate for yourself and find a functional dentist who takes an airway-centric approach.

In this new episode, I make the case that we need to think differently about sleep bruxism, and treat the root cause rather than the symptom. 

When you have a moment, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Each review helps get the word out about functional dentistry.

2. Instagram Q&A: Functional Pediatric Dentistry 👩‍⚕️

You can watch last week’s fabulous Q&A with Dr. Staci, board-certified functional and holistic kids’ dentist, or any of my past Q&As, by going to @askthedentist on Instagram—they’re all saved to Highlights.

3. My go-to snack right now 🐖

There are very few snacks I can recommend wholeheartedly. Most snack foods have too many carbs and are too processed, resulting in a blood sugar spike and an acid attack on the teeth. These Creminelli packs are everything a snack should be: nutrient-dense, readily available (they’re even at some Starbucks), and highly satiating. The salami in these snack packs is nitrate-free and the manchego is a sheep cheese (which, according to Mark Hyman’s Pegan Diet, is superior to cow’s cheese).

Thanks for reading and have a great week.

P.S. People were shocked that I recommended that retainers and other oral appliances MUST be kept moist (immersed in water). This prevents damage and extends the life of the device. So, how do you prevent them from drying out while traveling? When traveling, I use this watertight, stainless steel container with some water—the trick is to push the lid all the way down so that none escapes while in transit. You can also put a ziploc around it as a fail-safe.