Stress is known to play a role in overall health, and oral health is no exception. When people are stressed, they may engage in nervous behaviors like clenching or grinding their teeth.
Clenching involves holding the teeth together and tightening the muscles in the jaw. Grinding is moving the jaw while holding the teeth together. The latter tends to damage the teeth more.
Because these habits often happen when people are asleep, they may not even be aware they’re doing it. Related symptoms like jaw pain, headaches and tooth damage often are attributed to other causes. That’s why identifying teeth clenching and grinding early on is important, according to Jay Tippets, DDS, associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Surgical Dentistry and director of the Emergency Dental Clinic at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.
In the following Q&A, Tippets discusses the causes and symptoms of teeth grinding and clenching, also called parafunctional habits, and how it can be prevented and treated.