Here’s something weird: right now, as you read this, your jaw muscles are probably relaxed. Your teeth aren’t touching. That’s how it’s meant to be most of the day.
But tonight? There’s a chance you’ll clench down with enough force to crack a walnut. And tomorrow morning, you’ll wake up none the wiser, maybe with a headache you’ll blame on your pillow.
One in three Australians grinds their teeth at night. Most have no clue they’re doing it. If you’re experiencing unexplained jaw pain, morning headaches, or worn teeth, you might be one of them.
What Is Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)?
Teeth grinding, or bruxism as dentists call it, is when you clench, grind or gnash your teeth without meaning to. Your jaw muscles are ridiculously strong when you bite down properly, you can generate around 90 kilograms of force.
Now imagine doing that for hours while you sleep. Night after night. Your teeth weren’t built for that kind of punishment.
There are two types of bruxism:
- Sleep bruxism – grinding teeth at night while unconscious (usually worse)
- Awake bruxism – daytime clenching when stressed or concentrating
Sleep bruxism is particularly damaging because you’re not aware it’s happening and you can’t control the force.
Why Do People Grind Their Teeth?
Grinding doesn’t just happen for no reason. Something triggers it.
Stress Is the Main Culprit
When you’re stressed, your body holds tension everywhere your shoulders, your neck, your jaw. Stressful times, such as the holiday season, can increase teeth grinding and jaw tension. At night, when you’re not consciously controlling anything, that tension comes out as grinding.
Work pressure. Money worries. General life stuff. It doesn’t matter what’s causing it. Your jaw deals with it while you’re unconscious. Stress affects your oral health in more ways than most people realise.
Sleep Disorders Play a Part
People with sleep disorders grind more. Sleep apnoea in particular has strong links to bruxism. When your airway narrows and you stop breathing briefly, your body might clench to help open it back up.
Poor sleep makes everything worse. You’re more stressed, you’re holding more tension and the grinding gets worse. The Australian Dental Association notes that addressing underlying sleep issues is crucial for managing bruxism effectively.
Your Sleeping Position Matters
How you sleep affects your jaw. Sleeping face-down puts pressure on it. Side sleeping can too, depending on how your head sits on the pillow.
Some Medications Trigger It
Antidepressants, especially SSRIs, can cause grinding as a side effect. If you started a new medication and suddenly your jaw’s sore in the mornings, there might be a connection.
How Do You Know If You’re Grinding Your Teeth at Night?
This is the tricky bit. You’re asleep. You can’t feel it happening. So how do you figure it out?
Your Partner Hears It First
The grinding sound can be loud. Proper loud. Like someone’s crushing ice in the next room. If you share a bed, your partner’s probably the first to notice. Some people describe it as scraping or gnashing.
Your Teeth Start Looking Different
This one’s subtle at first. Your teeth might look slightly flatter. The edges aren’t as defined. Maybe they’re more see-through at the tips. You might notice tiny chips or cracks.
Or your teeth feel sensitive when you drink something cold. That’s your enamel getting thinner from all the grinding.
TMJ Pain: Your Jaw Clicks and Pops
When you open your mouth wide, does your jaw click? Or does it feel like it catches slightly before it opens fully? That’s your jaw joint (TMJ) complaining about all the extra work.
Check Inside Your Cheeks
Look inside your cheeks. See any white lines or rough patches where your teeth touch? That’s from clenching. You’re basically chewing the inside of your mouth without meaning to.
What Tooth Damage Does Grinding Actually Cause?
Grinding puts massive force on your teeth way more than normal chewing. Over time, this causes real damage that affects both your oral health and your wallet.
Your Enamel Disappears
Enamel is the hardest substance in your body. But it can’t regrow. Once it’s ground away, it’s gone.
As it wears down, your teeth get shorter. They look worn and flat instead of having natural contours. Underneath that enamel is softer dentine, which wears away much faster. This is when sensitivity kicks in.
Teeth Crack and Break
All that force has to go somewhere. Teeth crack. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s a hairline fracture you can’t see. Those cracks let bacteria in and can turn into big problems.
Fillings pop out. Crowns break. Expensive dental work gets wrecked because your jaw won’t quit.
Your Jaw Joint Takes a Hammering
Your TMJ wasn’t designed for constant grinding. The cartilage wears down. The joint can start clicking, popping or even locking. TMJ disorders are painful and make eating difficult.
It Changes Your Face Over Time
Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. The muscles you use for grinding get bigger with all that overnight exercise. Your jaw can actually look wider or more square.
In extreme cases, teeth wear down so much they change how your bite sits. Your face can look shorter.
How Your Dentist Spots Bruxism
You might not notice the damage, but your dentist will during a regular dental check-up. They’re looking for specific signs:
What dentists check for:
- Flat spots on your teeth where they’ve been ground down
- Tiny cracks in your enamel
- Worn filling edges
- Gums that have receded from pressure
- How your bite lines up
- Bulky jaw muscles from clenching
This is why regular dental exams matter. Catching grinding early means less damage to fix.
Treatment Options: Actually Fixing the Problem
You can’t just tell yourself to stop grinding. It happens while you’re unconscious. You need actual strategies.
Custom Night Guards Protect Your Teeth
A custom-made night guard fits over your teeth like a shield. You still grind, but you’re grinding on plastic instead of your actual teeth. It protects your enamel and takes pressure off your jaw joint.
The key is custom-made. Those cheap ones from the chemist don’t fit properly and can make things worse. A properly fitted night guard from your dentist is worth the investment.
Fix Damaged Teeth
If your teeth are already worn down or cracked, they need fixing. This might mean:
- Tooth-coloured fillings for cracks
- Dental crowns for badly damaged teeth
- Bonding to restore tooth shape
Not just for looks. Damaged teeth are weaker and more likely to break worse.
Manage Stress and Teeth Grinding
Easier said than done, right? But it matters. Exercise helps. Proper sleep helps. Talking to someone helps.
Whatever works for you, stress management makes a real difference to reducing bruxism.
Watch Your Daytime Habits
Notice when you clench during the day. Is it when you’re driving? Working on the computer? Once you’re aware of it, you can consciously relax your jaw.
Keep your lips together but your teeth apart. That’s the natural resting position.
The Real Cost of Ignoring Teeth Grinding
Let’s be blunt. Ignoring bruxism gets expensive.
A custom night guard costs a few hundred dollars. Fixing a cracked tooth costs more. A crown costs way more. Multiple crowns? Now you’re looking at thousands.
And that’s just money. The pain’s real. TMJ disorders can be debilitating. Chronic headaches affect your whole life. Some people end up needing complex dental work to rebuild teeth that have been ground down to stumps.
All because they didn’t do anything about it early on.
When to See a Dentist in Fairfield About Grinding
Don’t wait. If you’re experiencing any of these, book a dental check-up:
- Waking up with jaw pain more than occasionally
- Your partner says you grind
- Your teeth are looking flat or worn
- Unexplained headaches, especially in the morning
- Clicking or popping in your jaw
Book a proper dental exam at Najmi Dental in Fairfield. We’ll check for signs of grinding, assess how much damage has been done and work out what you actually need. Maybe it’s just a night guard. Maybe there’s other stuff going on. Either way, you’ll know instead of guessing.
