STORY: COMMUTER CLENCHING

SCRIPT #513 SHOOT: 5-20-03

AIRDATE: Monday, June 16, 2003

Daybreak and Midday

DHC Master #17 Timecode: 58:45 Here’s a new health problem. Commuter

clenching.

What is it and how dangerous can it be?

Dr. Linda Niessen with Baylor College

of Dentistry has some answers in today’s

SOVT: 1:36 segment of Dental Health Check.

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STACY GETTING INTO CAR (VOICE-OVER)

SUPER: Dallas :02-07 A new job requires Stacey Dees to drive

an hour each day to get to the office.

SUPER: Stacey Dees :13-18 (“That can be quite stressful. In addition

Commuter to the traffic, it’s just frustrating to know of

all the things I could be doing. I think that’s

where the stress comes from. I have two small children so I’m anxious to get home.”)

STACEY DRIVING During her one hour commute, Stacey

started a habit she was completely unaware of--clenching her teeth.

The stress took its toll, specifically on a

bi-cuspid tooth!

STACEY DEES (“Just a crack right down the middle of the tooth. It had to come out and I didn’t expect

that. That was pretty traumatic.”)

SUPER: Dr. T. Bob Davis :40-43 (“Bicuspid split right down the middle and

Dentist totally destroyed. Lots of patients don’t

realize they are doing it.”)

TWO-SHOT Dr. T. Bob Davis says he is seeing

more grinding and clenching problems

than ever before.

STACEY DEES (“I hold a lot of stress up here in my

neck. That makes a lot of sense that it can just keep going up.”)

MORE OF STACY Stacey now drives with a custom made

mouth guard that protects her teeth

during the long commute. Plus, she

worked out a new arrangement with

her employer.

STACEY DEES (“I had negotiated a work at home arrangement three days a week after the

first month.”)

TRAFFIC Daytime clenching may be as common

as nighttime grinding.

So you may need to take a detour to

your dentist.

ON CAMERA (STAND-UP CLOSE)

If you’ve noticed that you clench

SUPER: Dr. Linda Niessen 1:20-1:25 during the day or at night, don’t

Baylor College of Dentistry wait until you fracture a tooth. Look

into a custom mouth guard that you

can wear during those unavoidable

stressful activities such as

commuting. For Baylor College

of Dentistry, Texas A & M System,

I’m Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8

News.