If you’re here, you’re probably already experiencing some of the signs of teeth grinding and want to learn a little more about it. If you wanted to know what might be causing it, you’re looking for this article on what causes teeth grinding.

Teeth grinding or clenching, loud enough to wake someone

One sign that you’re teeth grinding at night is waking someone else up with the sound of your teeth grinding together. It’s not always a sustained crunching sound, sometimes you’ll just here the clicking together of the jaw as it opens and closes your teeth together. If you are a light sleeper, you may even wake yourself up!

Teeth that are flat or chipped

When teeth are worn down and ground down, they will eventually become chipped or flat. This is a telltale sign that the teeth grinding has been occurring for quite some time. Teeth without enamel have no protection against damage, so you definitely want to get ahead of this and seek treatment if you start to notice this wear and tear. If you stick to a good cadence of visits to the dentist or dental hygienist, they will likely catch it before you even notice.

Painful teeth

Getting a tooth ache, or having more sensitive teeth than usual is another sign that you might be grinding at night. It’s different for everyone, but if you notice an increase in teeth pain, especially when you wake up in the morning, it’s not something you should rule out. A dentist is always going to be the best person to consult on this pain, as you want to rule out something else like cavities quickly.

Tight or tired jaw muscles

When you grind your teeth, your jaw muscles are hard at work creating that movement. Over time, you may notice your jaw muscle becoming tight or tired from all the exertion while you’re asleep. When your jaw muscle should be resting, it’s putting in a real workout, so you’ll notice some discomfort, but it’s not super obvious always. These symptoms can also cause headaches and neck or back pains for some people that have been grinding their teeth for a long time. Other people have trouble swallowing as the muscles become too tight from the constant tooth-grinding motion. These muscle-tension issues can also increase anxiety, leading to more stress and potentially more teeth grinding. Best to stop the cycle sooner rather than later!

Earache pain

Oral pain is often connected to teeth grinding. However, not all painful teeth grinding symptoms are teeth-related. Some may also feel a milder earache due to the pressure put on the eardrum while teeth are grinding together. As with the jaw pain, this one might be very subtle, but it’s worth exploring.

Headaches

Headaches are another potential symptom of teeth grinding. There are lots of other potential causes, but it’s worth considering teeth grinding if you experience them when you wake up. Earaches, jaw aches, teeth pain are all linked to this as well.

Sleep disruption

One symptom of teeth grinding is sleep disruption. When teeth are being ground, the muscles in the jaw and tongue tense up, which disrupts your ability to fall asleep. The muscles tense when you grind your teeth at night and it can lead to a lower quality of sleep as a result. You may also wake yourself and your partner up with the sound of your grinding, which lowers sleep quality and leads to more stress. Again it’s much better to get ahead of this if possible.

Receding gums

Teeth grinding can also cause the gums to recede, which is a condition called gingival recession. Recession of the gums can lead to a lot of problems with oral health in the long run. If you notice a sudden recession of your gums, it’s definitely worth getting a professional opinion on what might be causing it.

Summary

These are the most well known signs that you’re grinding your teeth. I know I first found out from my dentist when I went in for a routine checkup, so none of these signs were obvious to me! They could tell because they could see the wear and tear on the teeth in my mouth, and so they recommended I get a night guard to stop it. I don’t think my teeth grinding is that bad yet, but I don’t want to wear a night guard for the rest of my life so I’m trying to find ways to stop grinding. If that’s something you’re interested in too, stick around!