DenTek survey finds football stress

DenTek said on September 1 that its inaugural Football Stress Test found many football fans carry game-related thoughts into the night, with 78% saying they continue thinking about football after a game ends. The company said 77% of fans reported thinking about football after getting into bed, 47% said they had stayed up later than planned because of football, and 40% said they checked scores while in bed. (prnewswire.com) The Tarrytown, New York-based brand released the survey through PR Newswire as part of a football-season campaign tied to nighttime teeth grinding. (prnewswire.com) DenTek said NFL twins Ronde Barber and Tiki Barber joined the effort to react to the findings and encourage fans to notice when football stress extends beyond game day. ### Why did DenTek tie a football survey to sleep and oral health? DenTek said stress is among the most common contributors to nighttime teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, and used the survey to argue that football-related stress can spill into bedtime. The company described the Football Stress Test as the centerpiece of its “Fantasy Guards 2.0” initiative. (prnewswire.com) The release linked fan behavior after games — including staying up late and checking scores in bed — to a broader claim that football stress may have implications beyond the game itself. That framing came from DenTek, which markets over-the-counter dental guards for nighttime teeth grinding. (prnewswire.com) ### What behaviors did the survey say show up after the final whistle? The survey said only 22% of fans stop thinking about football immediately after a game ends. DenTek said nearly half of respondents had stayed up later than planned because of football, while four in 10 had checked scores from bed. Sixty percent of football fans surveyed said football season is stressful, according to the release. (prnewswire.com) DenTek said 43% cited social media as a source of football-related stress and 39% said sports betting makes football more stressful. ### What did the release say about physical symptoms? Among fans who said football season is stressful, 39% reported feeling anxious and 32% said they have trouble falling asleep, DenTek said. (prnewswire.com) The company also said 21% reported jaw tension or clenching. Sixty-nine percent of those fans said they grind or clench their teeth at least sometimes during stressful football games, according to the release. (prnewswire.com) DenTek presented that figure as part of its case that football-season stress can overlap with oral-health issues at night. ### Where do Ronde and Tiki Barber fit in? Ronde Barber and Tiki Barber were named by DenTek as campaign participants in the September 1 release. (prnewswire.com) DenTek said the former NFL players react to the survey results, discuss football’s emotional highs and lows, and urge fans to recognize when stress carries past kickoff and the final whistle. The release did not present the Barbers as survey authors or independent researchers. It described them as part of the campaign built around the findings. ### Where can readers find the full findings? PR Newswire published DenTek’s release on September 1 at 9:18 a.m. Eastern time, and the release includes the Football Stress Test findings and campaign materials. (prnewswire.com) DenTek said the campaign centers on football-season stress, bedtime routines and nighttime teeth grinding, with Ronde and Tiki Barber featured in the materials.