Most people who grind their teeth have no idea they’re doing it. It happens during sleep, or during stressful moments at work when your jaw is clenched so tight you don’t even notice. By the time the damage shows up — worn-down enamel, cracked teeth, chronic jaw pain — it’s been going on for years.
At Oakwood Dental in Castle Rock, bruxism (the clinical term for teeth grinding and clenching) is something Dr. Jones and Dr. Zendig see regularly. The good news: it’s very manageable once you know it’s happening. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Bruxism, and Why Does It Happen?
Bruxism is the involuntary grinding, gnashing, or clenching of teeth. It’s split into two types: sleep bruxism, which happens during the night and is classified as a sleep-related movement disorder, and awake bruxism, which occurs during the day usually in response to stress or concentration.
The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but the most common contributors include stress and anxiety, sleep disorders like sleep apnea, certain medications (particularly SSRIs), caffeine and alcohol, and in some cases, bite misalignment. It’s more common than most people realize — estimates suggest somewhere between 8–31% of the general population grinds their teeth to some degree.
Signs You Might Be a Grinder
Since most grinding happens at night, the symptoms are often indirect. Things to watch for:
Worn, flattened, or chipped teeth. If your back teeth look shorter than they used to, or have a flat, polished appearance, that’s a classic sign of grinding. Your enamel — the hardest substance in your body — is literally being sanded down night after night.
Tooth sensitivity. As enamel wears away, the underlying dentin becomes exposed, causing sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet foods that wasn’t there before.
Jaw pain, soreness, or tightness. Waking up with a sore jaw, particularly in the masseter muscles just in front of your ears, is a textbook bruxism symptom.
Headaches, especially in the morning. The sustained muscle contraction from nighttime grinding can trigger tension headaches that greet you when you wake up.
Ear pain or a feeling of fullness. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sits right next to the ear canal. Bruxism puts enormous stress on the TMJ and can cause symptoms that feel like an ear problem.
A partner telling you they hear grinding sounds at night. Severe bruxism can be loud enough to wake someone sleeping in the same room.
What It Does to Your Teeth Over Time
This is where it gets serious. Healthy tooth enamel doesn’t grow back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Chronic grinding wears down the biting surfaces of teeth, which can cause them to look shorter and alter your bite. Cracks and fractures become more common — and a cracked tooth that might have been saved with a crown earlier can eventually require extraction. Existing dental work like fillings, crowns, and veneers can be damaged or dislodged. And the stress on the jaw joint can progress into a full-blown TMJ disorder, with clicking, locking, and chronic pain.
How We Diagnose It
During your regular exam at Oakwood Dental, Dr. Jones and Dr. Zendig examine your teeth and jaw for the telltale signs — wear patterns, micro-fractures, muscle tenderness, and changes in tooth height. Sometimes X-rays help identify damage that isn’t visible to the naked eye.
The Primary Treatment: A Custom Nightguard
The most effective first-line treatment for sleep bruxism is a custom-fabricated nightguard — a hard acrylic appliance that fits precisely over your teeth and creates a protective barrier between your upper and lower arches. A nightguard doesn’t stop you from grinding; it redirects the force and protects your enamel from the damage.
The key word is custom. Over-the-counter nightguards from the drugstore are made from soft material in a generic shape. They can actually worsen clenching in some patients. At Oakwood Dental, we take a precise digital scan of your teeth and work with a dental lab to fabricate a nightguard that fits like it was made for you — because it was.
What About the Damage That’s Already Happened?
If grinding has already caused significant wear, cracking, or tooth loss, restorative dentistry can address it. Options include dental bonding for minor chips, porcelain veneers when multiple front teeth are affected, crowns for cracked or heavily worn back teeth, dental implants if teeth have been lost, and full-mouth reconstruction in severe cases.
Don’t Wait Until You Feel It
By the time bruxism causes noticeable pain, significant damage has usually already occurred. Regular dental checkups catch it early, when your options are most and the damage is least.
Call Oakwood Dental at 303-688-3860 or request an appointment online. We’re here for patients throughout Castle Rock and Douglas County.