Teeth grinding at night: signs, causes and night guards

Grinding or clenching your teeth at night, called bruxism, usually happens without you knowing. The giveaways are a sore jaw or a headache when you wake, teeth that look worn, chipped or flat, and a partner who hears you grinding.

You can protect your teeth while you work on the cause. A night guard made to fit your mouth takes the force of the grinding while you sleep, so the wear goes on the guard instead of your teeth, and a check-up shows whether you need one.

Signs you may be grinding at night

You can't hear yourself grind in your sleep, so ask anyone who shares your room. You may also notice:

• a headache or an aching face when you wake up;
• sore or tired jaw muscles, or pain when you chew;
• trouble opening or closing your mouth fully;
• earache, or ringing in your ears (tinnitus);
• teeth that look worn, flat, chipped or cracked;
• teeth that have become sensitive.

Many people only find out at a check-up, when the wear shows on teeth that don't hurt. Clenching while you're awake is counted as a separate condition from grinding in your sleep, but the signs are much the same, and you may catch yourself doing it during the day.

What makes grinding more likely

• stress and anxiety;
• smoking;
• alcohol;
• a lot of caffeine: more than six cups of coffee a day roughly doubles the likelihood;
• some antidepressants, known as SSRIs (don't stop a medicine on your own: talk to the person who prescribed it);
• sleep apnoea, where breathing stops and starts during sleep (if you snore loudly, or someone has seen you stop breathing in your sleep, see your GP).

What grinding does to your teeth and jaw

Left unprotected, months and years of grinding and clenching can lead to:

• worn, flattened or chipped teeth, and teeth that crack or work loose;
• problems with the jaw joints, called temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders;
• facial pain that keeps coming back;
• poor sleep.

The sooner your teeth are protected, the less wear there is to repair. Worn or chipped edges can often be rebuilt with composite bonding once a guard is protecting them. Fillings, composite veneers and fibre bridges take the same load as your own teeth, so grinding can chip them too: read how long a fibre bridge lasts and how long composite veneers last. If a tooth has already broken, see what to do about a chipped or broken tooth.

What a night guard does, and what it does not

A night guard sits between your upper and lower teeth, so they grind against the guard instead of each other. It protects the teeth and can ease the strain on your jaw muscles. It does not stop the grinding itself.

Ours are made to fit. We take an impression of your teeth, a dental laboratory makes the guard from it, and you come back to have it fitted and your bite checked. The material is thin and firm: firm enough to take the force of grinding, and thin enough to sleep in. A sports mouth guard is a different guard, thicker and softer, for contact sport. See night guards and sports mouth guards for how long a guard lasts and how to book one.

Custom, boil-and-bite and pharmacy guards compared

You can buy a guard off the shelf or have one made from a mould of your teeth. The difference is fit:

A guard you wear every night has to stay put while you sleep, and a close fit is what keeps it there. Our mouth guards and night guards page compares the three in more detail.

Other things that help

A guard looks after your teeth. These steps can reduce the grinding itself:

• Find ways to manage stress and anxiety, and ask your GP for help if they are affecting your sleep.
• Cut down on caffeine.
• Drink less alcohol.
• Stop smoking.

Teeth grinding in children

Grinding is common in children, and many grow out of it by their teens. As in adults, it can be linked to stress or to problems with sleep. Mention it at your child's next check-up so we can look for wear, and bring them in sooner if they have tooth pain, headaches or a sore jaw.

Check-ups, cleaning, fissure sealants and fillings for children are all part of our children's dental care.

Looking after a night guard

Rinse the guard when you take it out in the morning, and clean it every day with cold water, mild soap and a soft brush. Keep it in a vented case, away from heat such as hot water or a hot car. Replace it when it is worn, cracked or loose, and bring it along to your check-ups.

Common questions