People who grind rarely know they do it. It usually surfaces when a family member mentions the noise, or a dentist points out how flat the biting surfaces have become.
- Enamel worn away by grinding does not regenerate, and the damage accumulates night after night while the person grinding is usually unaware.
- Typical signs: waking with a tired jaw, flattening biting surfaces, increasing sensitivity, and fillings that chip or debond.
- A night guard protects teeth from further wear; it does not stop the grinding habit.
- A night guard is a self-paid service; treatment of the damage grinding causes is assessed for health insurance cover like other dental conditions.
Grinding happens outside conscious control, so most people cannot detect it themselves. It generally comes to light in one of three ways: someone sleeping nearby hears it, you wake with a tired jaw and a headache around the temples, or a dentist spots the wear pattern during an examination.
The short answer
Prolonged grinding does real damage, and it accumulates year after year. The force generated during sleep can considerably exceed normal chewing force, and it continues for many minutes each night without the pain signal that would normally make you stop. Enamel worn away by grinding does not regenerate.
Signs to look for
- Waking with a tired or tight jaw, sometimes with pain around the temples resembling a headache.
- Biting surfaces flattening and losing their natural cusps. Front teeth may shorten with a flat, level edge.
- Increasing sensitivity to hot and cold as enamel thins and exposes dentine.
- Fine cracks in enamel, or fillings and restorations that chip or debond repeatedly.
- Clicking from the jaw joint when opening, or a sense of restriction when opening wide.
- Someone sleeping nearby hearing the grinding.
Why does it happen?
The cause is usually a combination rather than a single factor. Those commonly cited include prolonged stress and anxiety, sleep disturbance, an uneven bite causing the jaws to meet awkwardly, and habits such as stimulants late in the evening.
Because the causes are varied, management runs on two tracks at once: protecting the teeth from further wear, and reducing contributing factors where they can be identified.
What is a night guard?
A night guard is a hard acrylic appliance made to fit your own dental impressions and worn during sleep. The principle is simple: it sits between the two arches so grinding force is applied to the appliance instead of to enamel.
Its role needs to be understood correctly: a night guard protects teeth from further wear; it does not stop the grinding habit. It acts as a cushion in between, preserving what remains while you and the dentist work on the underlying factors.
Ready-made guards sold over the counter may not fit accurately, and can feel bulky or affect the bite if used long term. A guard made from your own impressions fits better and is checked and adjusted by the dentist after a trial period.
At Ky Hoa Dental a night guard is a self-paid service and is not covered by health insurance. You will be quoted before it is made.
What the dentist examines
The dentist assesses how far the biting surfaces and incisal edges have worn, how the teeth meet when the jaws close, the jaw muscles and the temporomandibular joint, and associated damage such as enamel cracks, chipped teeth, failing fillings and sensitivity from exposed dentine.
Depending on the findings, management may include a night guard for night-time protection, restoring worn or cracked teeth, adjusting premature contacts that make the bite uncomfortable, and a discussion of lifestyle factors. Treatment of damage caused by grinding, such as restoring worn teeth or root canal treatment for a deeply cracked tooth, is assessed for health insurance cover in the same way as other dental conditions.
What you can do at home
- Reduce coffee, strong tea and alcohol in the evening.
- Build a wind-down routine, and keep sleep regular and sufficient.
- During the day, notice whether your teeth are touching when you are not chewing. Many people clench while awake without realising.
- Apply a warm compress to the jaw muscles when they feel tired in the morning.
- Avoid chewing pens, biting nails and crunching ice.
If someone has told you that you grind at night, or you often wake with a tired jaw, have the current level of wear assessed. Ky Hoa Dental sees patients at 266A - 268, Duong 3 Thang 2, Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Monday to Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
Does grinding stop on its own?
It sometimes lessens when a contributing factor resolves, for instance once a stressful period passes. But that cannot be predicted, and enamel continues to wear in the meantime. Since enamel wear is irreversible, the sensible approach is to protect the teeth first while looking for the cause.
Is a night guard covered by health insurance?
No. A night guard is a self-paid service and falls outside health insurance cover. Treatment of damage caused by grinding, such as restoring worn teeth or root canal treatment, is assessed for cover in the same way as other dental conditions.
Is it hard to sleep wearing a night guard?
The first few nights usually feel bulky with increased salivation, and most people then adapt. If it feels like it is pressing, causing tooth pain or altering your bite, come back so the dentist can adjust it rather than trimming it yourself or abandoning it.