How to stop grinding teeth at night?

Use a custom night guard, reduce stress before bed, avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening, and maintain a consistent sleep routine.

Why do my teeth hurt at night?

Teeth may hurt at night due to grinding, clenching, tooth decay, gum inflammation, or sinus pressure, which become more noticeable when lying down.

Early signs of teeth grinding?

Jaw soreness, morning headaches, tooth sensitivity, worn enamel, and clicking or tightness in the jaw are common early signs.

How to relax your jaw when sleeping?

Try gentle jaw stretches before bed, apply a warm compress, practice deep breathing, and avoid chewing gum late in the day.

What is Bruxism? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Bruxism, which is the involuntary clenching and grinding of your teeth, impacts millions of people around the world, and research indicates that as many as 30% of all adults will have at least one episode during their lifetime. Chronic morning bruxism impacts approximately 8% to 16% of the world’s population; a small percentage of these individuals notice no symptoms until they suffer from severe oral damage.

In addition to causing headaches, jaw pain, broken teeth, and interfering with restful sleep, this often-quiet illness affects nearly every aspect of daily life, including your job and other forms of productivity over the long term. The prevalence of bruxism has increased substantially due to rising stress and sleep disorders.

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism refers to the act of involuntarily clenching or grinding your teeth, either when you are awake or asleep. This often places increased pressure on the jaws and teeth, causing pain and potential dental problems as the condition progresses.

There are two primary forms of bruxism, as shown below:

Sleep bruxism refers to bruxism that occurs while sleeping.
Awake bruxism refers to the use of bruxism that occurs when one is awake. It is generally associated with stress, anxiety, and/or being overly focused on something.

Many people do not realize that they are experiencing bruxism because it occurs without their knowledge; instead, they only realize that they are experiencing problems related to this condition, such as pain in the jaw, tooth sensitivity, or worn teeth.

Sleep Bruxism

Bruxism is defined as an involuntary clenching or grinding of one's teeth while sleeping. A person with bruxism typically does not know that they are experiencing this condition because it is not something that normally occurs when you are awake, meaning the person usually isn't aware unless someone hears them grinding their teeth during the night or sees any visible signs of wear on their teeth.

When associated with sleep, bruxism generally occurs with other disorders of sleep, including:

Micro-arousals (brief periods of wakefulness) during sleep
Anxiety and stress
Disorders of sleep, such as sleep apnea or snoring.

Potential outcomes from bruxism can lead to excessive strain on jaw muscles or teeth and lead to:

Headaches
Tooth cracks or flattening
Improperly styled gums
TMJ Problems

With enough time passing untreated, bruxism may cause irreversible damage to a person’s teeth and significantly impact sleep quality over time.

Awake Bruxism

Awake bruxism is a disorder characterized by the unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth while awake, often without the individual's awareness. Jaw clenching is more common than grinding, since awake bruxism is typically related to emotional and psychological sources rather than a sleep disorder like sleep bruxism.

Individuals who grind their teeth during their waking hours tend to do so in response to:

Anxiety and stress
Intense focus on some activity (i.e., studying, working, or driving)
Feeling of frustration and anger.

Over time, grinding the teeth can lead to tightness in the jaw, fatigued facial muscles, headache, tooth sensitivity, enamel loss, and TMJ disorders. Increasing awareness and developing skills to manage stress can help reduce the occurrence of awake bruxism and prevent long-term dental and jaw damage.

Symptoms of Bruxism

Symptoms of bruxism vary greatly depending on where they occur, including the teeth, jaw, face, and quality of life. Some symptoms develop slowly over time, while others may develop rapidly.

Some of the most common symptoms of bruxism include:

Grinding and/or clenching of teeth during sleep, often noted by an individual sharing the bed
Tightness, soreness, or pain of the jaw after waking up
Frequent and recurring headaches, particularly on the side of the head or just above the eyes
Sensitivity of the teeth to temperature and sweetness
Physically altered teeth (chipped, worn, flat, cracked) due to grinding
Pain, pressure, and/or other common ear-related symptoms, without the presence of an actual ear infection
Fatigue and/or tightness of the muscles of the face
Sounds of pain or clicking in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
Inability to fully open and/or close the mouth
Sleep disturbances and/or waking up feeling tired

If these symptoms are disregarded, there will likely be significant and/or long-term damage to your teeth and jaw structure resulting from bruxism.

Causes of Bruxism

The development of bruxism may result from a variety of physiological, psychological, and lifestyle factors. In some instances, it is not always possible to identify a singular cause; however, several known and more commonly seen triggers are strongly associated with the occurrence of this condition.

In summary, below are the most commonly identified causes of bruxism:

Stress & Anxiety: One of the most common causes, this often leads to habitual unconscious clenching or grinding of the teeth.

Sleep Disorders: A greater likelihood of developing nighttime grinding is associated with the presence of certain sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, snoring, or insomnia.

Misalignment of teeth (abnormal bite): A misplacement of the teeth that are out of alignment (for example, having an overbite or underbite) can cause additional strain on the jaw.

Lifestyle: Excessive caffeine, alcohol, smoking, and illicit substances may all contribute to increased symptoms associated with bruxism.

Medications: Many antidepressants (such as SSRIs) or antipsychotic medications might trigger bruxism as a side effect.

Personality: Individuals who are particularly aggressive, competitive, or hyperactive are at a heightened risk of developing bruxism.

Often, more than one cause working in concert contributes to the onset of bruxism. Therefore, early detection of all causes is critical to ensuring that bruxism is treated effectively.

Risks of Bruxism

If not treated, bruxism can cause a number of oral and general health difficulties. Continuous pressure from clenching or grinding one's teeth will ultimately result in the degradation of the teeth and jaw, as well as the surrounding supportive tissues, progressively over time.

Some of the risks associated with bruxism may include:

Severe wear of the teeth, which may lead to shortening or flattening of the teeth.
Cracks, chips, or fractures in teeth.
Loss or looseness of teeth with advanced bruxism
Increased risk of gum disease (gum recession), and
Chronic stiffness and pain in the jaws
Discomfort in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), with clicking, reduced movement, or painful movement of the jaw
Severe headaches and other facial pains
Sleep disruptions and consequent daytime fatigue
Complex restorative treatments, such as crowns, root canals, or dental implants

Without adequate treatment, bruxism can weaken your teeth over time and seriously damage the jaw, and have an impact on the quality of your life.

Treatment of Bruxism

Treating bruxism includes protecting the teeth and decreasing the strain on the jaw, while also addressing the conditions that cause bruxism. The best way to treat bruxism depends on how severe a person's bruxism is and whether it is happening during the day or at night.

Some of the best ways to treat bruxism include:

1. Mouth Guards/Night Guards

Mouth guards are custom-made for each person, and provide protection for teeth from damage caused by grinding, and help to relieve some of the pressure on the jaw when sleeping.

2. Stress Management

Since one of the leading reasons people experience bruxism is due to stress, by using different stress management techniques (like meditation, deep breathing, yoga, therapy), a person can help reduce clenching their jaw when they are awake and/or grinding their teeth when they sleep.

3. Fixing Problems with Bite (Bite Issues)

Treatments for issues such as braces, clear aligners, or reshaping tooth surfaces can be used to help fix the bite and therefore reduce the chance of developing bruxism.

4. Medications

In certain situations, doctors may prescribe:

- To relax the muscles of the jaw (for a short period of time)

- Medications to help relieve anxiety

- In cases of severe bruxism, Botox injections are used to relax overactive jaw muscles.

5. Change in Lifestyle

Decreasing caffeine and alcohol intake, quitting smoking, and avoiding chewing gum(s) can help lower the intensity of grinding.

6. Treatment of Sleep Disorders

If bruxism has been linked to a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, then resolving the sleep disorder(s) will help improve bruxism.

When to See a Doctor?

If you’re having continued pain or discomfort in your jaw, if you’ve experienced repeated headaches, if your teeth are worn down or damaged, or if someone observes that you are grinding your teeth while you sleep, you should see a physician or dentist immediately.

If you are unable to open or close your mouth correctly, hear a clicking or locking sound when chewing, are experiencing sensitivity to hot/cold or chewing food, have earaches with no known cause of infection, or have ongoing issues with sleep, these symptoms also warrant a visit to a physician. It is always better to seek help early to avoid a greater risk of damage to your teeth, jaws, and overall dental health.