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teeth grinding and clenching

Teeth Clenching At Night & Teeth Grinding At Night

Teeth clenching at night and grinding at night are real problems for thousands, if not millions, of people. The medical term is sleep bruxism, and every week in our office, we see patients whose painful and concerning TMJ symptoms are directly related to sleep bruxism.

Some people even grind their teeth while awake (to read about teeth grinding while awake, scroll down).

Are you a clencher or grinder? If so, you may have one or more of the following signs and symptoms of a TMJ disorder:

  • Jaw pain
  • Facial pain
  • Jaw clicking or locking
  • Limited jaw opening
  • A change in your bite
  • Headaches in your temples or face
  • Jaw stiffness and tightness
  • A bulky, overdeveloped jawline
  • Loose, worn-down, or fractured teeth
  • Neck pain on awakening
  • Sore teeth on awakening

At New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain, our doctors have decades of experience treating patients who suffer from the symptoms and signs of sleep bruxism. Board-certified Orofacial Pain specialists head our team – some of the few in the NYC area – and we have numerous proven treatment methods to help you stop teeth clenching at night (or teeth grinding at night), so you can sleep better and feel better, too!

To make an appointment at one of our offices in Manhattan, Westchester County, or Long Island, call 888-560-6674 (If you can’t call, complete this quick form , and we’ll get back to you soon as possible.)

Teeth Clenching & Grinding – Humans Have Been Doing It For Centuries

Humans have been teeth clenching at night, teeth grinding at night, and even teeth grinding while awake for centuries. There’s archeological evidence that the 15th-century King of England and the 16th-century explorer Galileo both did it! While this human experience is ancient in its history, it’s prevalent in society today, and we are beginning to understand why this often-destructive activity occurs.

Studies suggest that teeth clenching at night and teeth grinding at night are similar to other abnormal sleep activities such as sleepwalking, bedwetting, and night terrors. And can vary in frequency from every night to once in a while. The symptoms and problems that emerge from this activity are also quite variable.

Ongoing research suggests several factors likely responsible for the onset and persistence of sleep bruxism and the consequential symptoms of TMJ symptoms that can develop. Here is an up-to-date list of the potential causes and/or risk factors that can drive sleep bruxism, broken down into two categories: psychosocial and medical.

What Causes Teeth Clenching At Night & Teeth Grinding At Night?

The symptoms of sleep bruxism can keep you from enjoying your life. It can be caused by:

Psychosocial Causes

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Fear
  • Frustration
  • Poor social support
  • Personality

Medical Causes

  • Restless & disrupted sleep
  • Altered brain chemistry
  • Certain antidepressants & ADD/ADHD medications
  • Genetics
  • Alcohol & caffeine
  • Nutritional deficiencies such as calcium & magnesium

The Good News!

At New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain, we have many proven methods that help reduce the risk factors that may be causing your sleep bruxism and, at the same time, reduce its impact so your fatigued and injured TMJs and jaw muscles can heal.

Call 888-560-6674 to make an appointment at one of our three NYC metropolitan area offices. (If you can’t call, complete this quick form , and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.)

What About Teeth Grinding While Awake?

Teeth grinding while you’re awake is also very common and is called awake bruxism. In the same way that teeth clenching at night and teeth grinding at night can fatigue or injure your jaw muscles and compromise the stability of your TMJs, teeth grinding when you’re awake can give rise to the same types of injuries and symptoms.

Symptoms that can be caused by teeth grinding while awake are:

  • Jaw pain
  • Facial pain
  • Jaw clicking, popping, or locking
  • Limited jaw motion (lockjaw)
  • A bulky jawline
  • Sore and sensitive teeth
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