A glass of water and soft toothbrush on a bathroom shelf

Quick answer

Teeth grinding (bruxism) mostly happens during sleep, driven by stress, sleep disturbances and some medications, so sufferers rarely know. Signs: morning jaw tightness or headaches, flattened or chipped teeth, sensitivity, and scalloped tongue edges. Enamel ground away doesn't grow back, so protection matters before damage accumulates: a custom night splint protects teeth and rests the jaw muscles. In children, grinding is common and usually outgrown, but persistent grinding with worn baby teeth, snoring or disturbed sleep deserves assessment.

How to tell if you grind

  • Jaw feels tight, tired or achy in the morning
  • Dull morning headaches, usually at the temples
  • Teeth look shorter, flatter or chipped at the edges
  • Increasing sensitivity to cold (see sensitive teeth)
  • Scalloped edges on the tongue, or a ridge inside the cheeks
  • A partner who has heard it, which settles the question

Dentists often spot grinding before patients do; the wear pattern on your teeth is a diary of your nights.

Why it matters

Grinding applies chewing-level force for hours without food in between. Enamel wears flat, edges chip, fillings and crowns fail early, cracks propagate, and the jaw muscles and joint work an unpaid night shift, which is where jaw pain and morning headaches come from. None of the tooth structure lost comes back, which is why the economics favour protection early over reconstruction later.

What actually helps adults

  • A custom night splint. The mainstay: a precisely fitted guard that stops tooth-on-tooth wear and holds the jaw where the muscles can rest. Chemist boil-and-bite guards protect enamel but fit loosely and some people clench harder on them.
  • Stress and sleep hygiene. Bruxism tracks stress and poor sleep closely. Caffeine after lunch and alcohol in the evening both measurably worsen it.
  • Daytime awareness. Teeth apart, lips together. Set a few phone reminders; daytime clenchers are often astonished how often they catch themselves.
  • Repairing the damage. Worn or cracked teeth may need bonding or crowns once the grinding is controlled. Protecting first, rebuilding second, is the right order.
Loud grinding plus snoring, gasping or unrefreshing sleep can point to a sleep-breathing problem. That combination is worth raising with a GP, and our co-located medical centre makes it a one-address conversation.

Children who grind

Parents hear it from the next room and worry. Reassurance first: grinding is common in children, peaks while baby teeth and adult teeth are trading places, and most kids simply grow out of it. We keep an eye on wear at routine check-ups. It earns closer attention when grinding is loud and nightly, baby teeth look visibly flattened, or it travels with snoring, mouth breathing or restless sleep, patterns that sometimes point beyond the teeth.