Symptoms · teeth grinding
Do I grind my teeth?
Most people who grind their teeth do it in their sleep and have no idea until someone tells them, or until a dentist sees the wear. The usual signs are a sore jaw in the morning, headaches around the temples, teeth that are flattening or chipping, and increasing sensitivity. A splint protects the teeth from the grinding. It does not stop the grinding itself.
When does jaw pain need to be seen?
Go to hospital or call 000
- A jaw injury, or a jaw you cannot close
- Facial swelling that is spreading, with fever or trouble swallowing
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- A jaw that locks open or shut, or will not open properly
- Severe jaw pain that came on suddenly
- A tooth that has broken and is sharp or painful
Book the next available time
- A mild ache in the jaw on waking that eases through the morning
- Teeth that look slightly flattened at the edges
- Clicking in the jaw with no pain and no locking
What does grinding actually do to teeth?
Enamel is the hardest substance in the body and it still loses against itself over enough nights. Grinding wears the biting edges flat, so front teeth get shorter and back teeth lose the ridges that do the chewing. Small chips appear at the edges, and existing fillings and cosmetic work chip sooner than they otherwise would.
As enamel thins, two things follow. Teeth become more sensitive, because there is less insulation over the dentine underneath. And they look yellower, because that dentine is naturally yellow and more of it shows through.
None of this happens quickly, which is the difficulty. It happens slowly enough that people do not notice their own teeth changing, and fast enough that fifteen years of it is a great deal of tooth. That is the argument for having it looked at when someone first mentions the noise, rather than when a tooth breaks.
Why do people grind?
Honestly, it is not fully settled, and you should be wary of anyone who gives you one confident cause. What is recognised is a set of things associated with it.
- Stress and anxiety. The most commonly reported, and many people notice it tracks with a difficult period.
- Sleep. Most grinding happens during sleep, and it is associated with disturbed sleep and with snoring. If you sleep badly or have been told you stop breathing at night, tell your doctor as well as us.
- The way your teeth meet. Sometimes relevant, less often than it used to be blamed.
- Some medicines and stimulants, including caffeine, alcohol and smoking. Worth mentioning what you take rather than assuming it is irrelevant.
We are a dental practice, so we deal with what grinding does to teeth and jaw. Where the cause sits somewhere else, the useful thing we can do is say so and point you at the right person rather than treating it as ours to solve.
What does a splint do, and what does it not do?
A night splint is a hard appliance made to fit your teeth, worn while you sleep. The forces of grinding land on it instead of on your enamel. Many people also find the morning jaw ache improves, because the jaw muscles work differently against a smooth surface.
What it does not do is stop you grinding. The habit is driven by what your body does at night and the appliance does not reach that. This matters because expectations decide whether people keep wearing one: someone told it would cure the grinding stops using it when they still grind, and then the protection goes too.
A splint made to your bite lasts, fits and can be adjusted. A soft guard from a chemist is bulky, wears through quickly, and because it does not match how your teeth meet it can allow teeth to shift slightly over months of nightly wear.
If you are planning cosmetic work
Raise grinding before anything is made, not afterwards. It is the most common reason veneers, bonding and crowns chip earlier than expected, and it changes what material is sensible and whether a splint should be part of the plan from the start.
Telling us at the planning stage costs nothing. Finding out after a new front tooth has chipped costs the price of redoing it. Principal dentist Dr Fatima Kurnaz, a general dentist rather than a registered specialist, reviews the clinical information on this page, and a check-up is where the wear pattern gets read.
Other questions people ask
How would I know if I grind my teeth?
Often you would not, because most of it happens during sleep. The clues are waking with a tight or aching jaw, headaches around the temples first thing, teeth that are getting shorter or chipping at the edges, sensitivity that is spreading, or a partner telling you they can hear it. A dentist can usually see the wear pattern before you notice any of it.
Does a night splint stop grinding?
No, and anyone telling you it does is overselling it. Grinding is driven by what your body does while you sleep. A splint sits between your teeth so the force lands on the appliance instead of your enamel, which protects your teeth and often eases the morning jaw ache. The habit itself continues.
Can I just use a mouthguard from the chemist?
A boil-and-bite guard is better than nothing in the short term, but it is bulky, it does not fit the way your teeth meet, and a poorly fitting guard can let teeth move slightly over months. If you are going to wear something every night for years, it is worth having one made to your bite.
Is grinding caused by stress?
Stress is associated with it, and plenty of people notice it gets worse in a bad month. It is not the only factor, and treating grinding as purely a stress problem can mean missing other things worth checking, including your bite, some medicines, and sleep quality. Tell us what you have noticed and when.
Will it damage my dental work?
It can, and that is worth raising before any cosmetic treatment rather than after. Grinding shortens the life of veneers, bonding, crowns and implant restorations, which is why we ask about it at the planning stage and why a splint is often part of the conversation.
Do children grind their teeth?
Many do, particularly while their teeth are changing, and most grow out of it without any treatment. Mention it at your child's check-up so the wear can be watched, rather than assuming it needs an appliance.