Products I Use, and How I Choose Them
Four products appear on this page. I use all four myself. None of them is a treatment, none replaces working out what is actually wrong, and one of them pays us a commission, which is said on its own card rather than only at the bottom.
How I decide what goes here is set out in our product review methodology, and every financial relationship we have is listed on our financial disclosure page.
What the status words mean
Used means I have used it myself, without measuring anything. Every product below is Used. Nothing on this site is Tested, because I do not own equipment to measure what a device puts out or to check the figures a manufacturer publishes. I would rather tell you that than stretch the word.
RedVive red light panels, the 60 and the 300
Status: Used. I have both at home and I use them.
Who this is for. Someone who already knows what is wrong with them, wants red and near-infrared light at home, and has read what the evidence does and does not show.
Who should skip it. Anyone pregnant, anyone with active bleeding in the area they were going to treat, anyone taking a medication or supplement that causes photosensitivity, and anyone with a known or suspected active cancer near the area. And anyone whose jaw or face hurts without a diagnosis, because a panel is a way of not finding out.
What it is. An LED panel running 635, 670, 810 and 850 nanometres. That is a different set of wavelengths from the clinical laser I use in the office, which runs 808 and 905. The evidence does not establish which band matters, and the two systematic reviews on this do not agree with each other.
Regulatory status. Not established. We have not verified a 510(k) clearance for these models, and we do not claim FDA approval for a consumer light device.
What the evidence supports. Read the red light guide before buying anything in this category. The short version is that no study has tested a consumer panel for jaw pain, and the things that decide whether a device does anything are wavelength, irradiance at a stated distance, and time.
Paid link. The practice has a financial relationship with RedVive: we earn a commission if you buy through the link below, at no extra cost to you. Dr. Benton uses these panels himself. Being paid does not change what we recommend.
Mute nasal dilators
Status: Used. Not a paid link. We earn nothing if you buy one.
Who this is for. Someone who breathes through their mouth at night and wants to find out whether opening the nasal airway helps.
Who should skip it. Anyone using it instead of finding out why they snore. A dilator is not a treatment for sleep apnea and it will not tell you whether you have it. If you snore, wake unrefreshed, or wake with a headache, get tested first.
What it is. A soft internal nasal dilator that sits in the nostrils to widen the airway.
Regulatory status. Not established by us.
View Mute
Oura Ring
Status: Used. Not a paid link. We earn nothing if you buy one.
Who this is for. Someone who wants to watch trends in their own sleep and readiness over weeks, and who understands what that is and is not.
Who should skip it. Anyone looking for a diagnosis. A ring is not a sleep study. It does not diagnose sleep apnea, it does not rule it out, and a good-looking week of data does not mean your airway is fine. If you have symptoms, the test is the answer, not the ring.
What it is. A wearable ring that estimates sleep stages, heart rate and temperature trends.
Regulatory status. Not established by us.
View Oura
RingConn
Status: Used. Not a paid link. We earn nothing if you buy one.
Who this is for. The same person as above, who would rather not pay a subscription.
Who should skip it. The same people who should skip the Oura, for the same reason. It is a trend tracker, not a diagnostic device.
What it is. A wearable ring in the same category as the Oura.
Regulatory status. Not established by us.
View RingConn
What is not here, and why
No night guards. We spend a good deal of this site explaining the difference between a drugstore guard and a custom orthotic, and we would rather explain the difference than sell you one.
No supplements. Collagen, omega-3 and turmeric come up constantly in questions about joint health, and I am not the right person to tell you what any of them will do in your body. Bring it up alongside your treatment rather than instead of it.
No pillows, positional aids or blue-light glasses yet. They belong here and I have not written the criteria for them.
Have questions about which of these makes sense for you? Schedule a consultation at our Rogers AR office.