Why Am I Grinding My Teeth?

Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, is the unconscious clenching or grinding of the teeth. It commonly occurs during sleep, but many people also clench their teeth during the day without realizing it.

Over time, the excessive forces created by grinding and clenching can damage teeth, restorations, gums, jaw joints, and muscles. Many people don’t realize they’re grinding until a dentist notices signs of wear or a partner hears the grinding while they sleep.

At Total Dentistry, Dr. Christopher Omeltschenko evaluates the health of your gums, teeth, and bite to determine whether teeth grinding may be contributing to your dental problems and recommends treatment designed to protect your long-term oral health.

What Causes Teeth Grinding?

There isn’t always a single cause of bruxism.

Several factors may contribute, including:

• Stress or anxiety
• Sleep disorders
• Bite imbalances (occlusal dysfunction)
• Missing teeth
• Certain medications
• Lifestyle factors such as caffeine or alcohol

In many patients, several of these factors work together.

Rather than simply treating the effects of grinding, we also evaluate whether your bite may be contributing to excessive forces on your teeth.

Signs and Symptoms

Many people don’t know they grind their teeth because it often occurs during sleep.

Common signs include:

• Worn or flattened teeth
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Frequent broken fillings or crowns
• Jaw soreness or fatigue
• Morning headaches
• Sensitive teeth
• Loose teeth
• Gum recession
• Clicking or popping of the jaw

Some patients have significant tooth wear with very few symptoms, while others experience jaw discomfort long before noticeable tooth damage develops.

How Is Teeth Grinding Diagnosed?

Bruxism is diagnosed by evaluating the condition of your teeth, muscles, and bite.

During your examination, Dr. Omeltschenko may evaluate:

• Tooth wear
• Fractured teeth or restorations
• Muscle tenderness
• Jaw movement
• Bite alignment
• Gum recession
• Tooth mobility
• Digital photographs and X-rays

Our goal is to determine not only whether you’re grinding your teeth, but also how much damage the grinding may be causing.

What Happens If Teeth Grinding Is Left Untreated?

Over time, untreated grinding can lead to:

• Worn teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Broken fillings
• Broken crowns
• Gum recession
• Loose teeth
• Tooth sensitivity
• Jaw discomfort
• Tooth fractures requiring crowns, root canals, or extractions

Not everyone who grinds experiences severe damage, but identifying the condition early often allows us to reduce future problems.

Possible Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the severity of the grinding and the damage that has occurred.

Possible treatment options include:

• Custom Nightguard – A professionally made nightguard helps protect your teeth and restorations from excessive forces while you sleep.

• Disclusion Time Reduction (DTR) Therapy – For some patients, excessive biting forces are influenced by the way the teeth come together during chewing and jaw movement. DTR Therapy is a highly specialized technique that precisely evaluates your bite and, when appropriate, makes carefully measured adjustments designed to reduce excessive muscle activity and harmful biting forces. Not every patient is a candidate for DTR Therapy, but for appropriately selected patients it may help reduce muscle strain, improve comfort, and decrease the forces contributing to cracked teeth, worn teeth, and repeated dental problems.

• Restoration of Damaged Teeth – Teeth that have become cracked, worn, or broken may require fillings, crowns, or other restorative treatment.

• Replacing Missing Teeth – In some situations, replacing missing teeth may improve chewing function and reduce excessive stress on the remaining teeth.

• Comprehensive Bite Evaluation – Because bite problems may contribute to excessive forces, we evaluate your bite as part of our Total Oral Health approach and discuss whether additional treatment may benefit your long-term oral health.

Our goal is not only to protect your teeth today but also to reduce the risk of future damage.

Looking Beyond the Grinding

At Total Dentistry, we believe teeth grinding is often more than just a habit.

It can be a sign that excessive forces are affecting your teeth, gums, or bite. That’s why we evaluate the complete picture—including your gum health, tooth health, and bite—to understand why damage is occurring and how to best protect your smile over the long term.