Teeth grinding, or Bruxism as it’s officially known, is one of those tricky conditions that you could be suffering from without even knowing it. An involuntary clenching, grinding and gnashing of the teeth, it doesn’t always display its symptoms in ways that are immediately noticeable.
Most people aren’t even aware they are grinding their teeth until their partners tell them or advanced symptoms such as jaw pain, headaches and worn down, sensitive teeth start to emerge.
What causes teeth grinding?
The cause of teeth grinding is not always clear, but it’s usually linked to other factors, such as stress, anxiety or sleep problems.
Stress and anxiety
Teeth grinding is most often caused by stress or anxiety and many people are not aware they do it. It often happens during sleep.
Medicines
Teeth grinding can sometimes be a side effect of taking certain types of medicine.
Sleep disorders
If you snore or have a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), you’re more likely to grind your teeth while you sleep. OSA interrupts your breathing while you sleep.
You’re also more likely to grind your teeth if you:
- talk or mumble while asleep
- behave violently while asleep, such as kicking out or punching
- have sleep paralysis, a temporary inability to move or speak while waking up or falling asleep
- have hallucinations, where you see or hear things that are not real, while semi-conscious
Lifestyle
Other factors that can make teeth grinding more likely, or make it worse, include:
- drinking alcohol
- smoking
- using recreational drugs, such as ecstasy and cocaine
- having lots of caffeinated drinks, such as tea or coffee (6 or more cups a day)

Symptoms of tooth grinding
What makes working out if you grind your teeth so challenging is that while you may have some symptoms when you first wake up, they can quickly disappear; and if you grind teeth during waking hours, symptoms won’t be noticeable until later in the day.
So what should you be looking out for?
- Teeth grinding or clenching, which may be loud enough to wake up your sleep partner
- Teeth that are flattened, fractured, chipped or loose
- Worn tooth enamel, exposing deeper layers of your tooth
- Increased tooth pain or sensitivity
- Tired or tight jaw muscles, or a locked jaw that won’t open or close completely
- Jaw, neck or face pain or soreness
- Pain that feels like an earache, though it’s actually not a problem with your ear
- Dull headache starting in the temples
- Damage from chewing on the inside of your cheek
- Sleep disruption
Even if you’re not sure that teeth grinding is responsible for the symptoms you’re experiencing, telling your Bulleen Plaza Dental dentist as soon as you suspect something’s wrong means they can perform a diagnosis and devise possible treatment options.
Problems caused by tooth grinding
All those niggling, sometime painful symptoms may be pointers to even worse damage being done. Teeth grinding places a lot of pressure on your teeth, cracking their protective enamel, fracturing them and breaking things like crowns and fillings, while placing great stress on your jaws joints and muscles.
You might also find your teeth are more sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and more painful to bite down on as the fibre that attaches them to the bone gets inflamed.
Treatment
In many cases, treatment isn’t necessary. Many kids outgrow bruxism without treatment, and many adults don’t grind or clench their teeth badly enough to require therapy. However, if the problem is severe, options include certain dental approaches, therapies and medications to prevent more tooth damage and relieve jaw pain or discomfort.
Talk with your dentist or doctor to find out which option may work best for you.