Teeth grinding or clenching, also known as bruxism, is a common condition in adults. It can be very uncomfortable, and can cause consistent joint or muscle pain as you subconsciously grind your teeth or clench your jaw. While teeth grinding can occur during waking hours, nearly 80% of cases happen subconsciously during sleep, so many people are not aware that they are doing it. Typical symptoms include headaches, sensitive teeth or soreness/ache around the jaw in the morning.
The cause of teeth grinding is not always clear, and can be related to several factors, but for most people it is more pronounced during periods of stress. As it typically occurs during sleep, you can’t control it, or “train” yourself to grind less!
With many dentists around the globe reporting an increase in stress-induced bruxism as a result of the COVID19 pandemic we have put together some advice on how to manage teeth grinding and reduce the risk of long-term damage to your teeth.
A mouth guard or splint creates a physical barrier between the teeth to protect them from further damage, and should reduce any grinding noise you make at night. Your dentist may recommend that we create a custom mouth guard to protect your teeth from grinding.
