Bruxism and Night Guards
Recognising bruxism
Almost nobody knows they grind.
Bruxism is clenching or grinding the teeth, usually at night and without being aware of it. It is often reported by a partner, or discovered in the chair from wear that does not match the patient’s age.
The signs you can spot yourself: a tired or sore jaw on waking, morning headaches at the temples, cold sensitivity appearing without decay, and the impression that the front teeth are getting shorter over the years.
What the grinding damages
The enamel first, then the restorations.
Enamel wears first on the edges of the incisors and the tips of the canines, which go flat and translucent. Vertical cracks follow, sensitivity at the neck of the tooth, sometimes teeth that split.
Restorations pay the price faster than natural teeth: a veneer, a ceramic crown or a composite placed in a mouth that grinds will break or debond well before its time. That is why a guard is part of the treatment for a cosmetic project, not an optional extra.
Learn more about veneersThe night guard
It protects the teeth; it does not stop the grinding.
A guard is a rigid custom-made plate, produced from an impression and worn at night. The forces land on it rather than on enamel, and it spreads the load instead of concentrating it on a few teeth.
Be clear about what it does: it protects, it does not cure. The grinding continues. A guard worn through after a while is not a manufacturing fault, it is evidence that it did its job instead of the teeth. The thermoformed versions sold in pharmacies are softer and can alter the bite with use.
The other treatments
Correcting what triggers it, repairing what is worn.
Where a premature contact loads chewing onto one tooth, a fine adjustment of the bite relieves it. Where teeth are badly positioned, orthodontics is the lasting answer.
On teeth already markedly worn, height has to be given back with composites or ceramics — but always after protection is in place, never before: rebuilding without a guard means doing the same work twice.
Learn more about the biteBruxism, stress and sleep
The dentist protects the teeth; the cause often lies elsewhere.
Stress and anxiety are the factors most often associated, along with tobacco, caffeine and certain medications. Night-time bruxism is also linked to sleep quality, and it sometimes accompanies sleep-related breathing disorders.
That goes beyond the dental surgery, and it is worth saying rather than leaving the impression that a guard solves the problem. Heavy snoring, waking with a start, or tiredness on waking despite full nights are worth mentioning to a doctor.
Bruxism and Night Guards — Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if I grind my teeth?
- A sore jaw on waking, morning headaches and flattened incisal edges are the usual signs. Often it is the examination that reveals it before the patient does.
- Will a guard stop the grinding?
- No. It protects the teeth by taking the forces in their place. The grinding continues, which is why the guard wears down: that is what would have happened to the enamel.
- Are pharmacy guards good enough?
- They serve at a pinch, but they are softer, fit poorly and can let teeth shift slightly with use. A guard made from an impression covers every tooth and respects the bite.
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