Clinical content reviewed by Dr. Ash Kler, DDS ·
Nighttime grinding, bruxism, happens while you are unconscious, with jaw forces that can dwarf normal chewing. Most grinders learn about it not from sound, but from evidence. Here is what to look for.
Waking with a tired, tight jaw or aching facial muscles is the classic sign; your jaw spent the night at the gym.
The temporalis muscles, which power clenching, run across the temples. Regular waking headaches there strongly suggest a nighttime clench habit.
Grinding sands away enamel, flattening the natural peaks and edges of teeth. Chipped edges, notches at the gumline, and front teeth that have visibly shortened over years are the wear stripes of bruxism.
Worn enamel exposes the softer dentin beneath, and suddenly ice water and hot coffee announce themselves. Widespread new sensitivity, without a specific cavity, often traces to grinding.
Fillings and crowns that keep fracturing, or a molar that cracks on soft food, point to nighttime forces no restoration was designed to survive unprotected.
The squeaking, crunching soundtrack is unmistakable to anyone sharing the room, even when it never wakes the grinder.
A custom nightguard, slim, secure, nothing like the drugstore boil-and-bite, cushions the forces and typically resolves the morning symptoms within days while protecting your teeth for years. Just as important, we look for the why: stress is the famous culprit, but grinding is also linked to sleep-disordered breathing, so a proper assessment screens your airway too. Treat the cause where there is one; protect the teeth regardless.
Recognize yourself in three or more of these? Protect your teeth tonight: (250) 372-2326.
Have questions about your own smile? Call (250) 372-2326 or request an appointment.