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Ella cannot recall exactly when her teeth grinding began, but the intense jaw pain and frequent headaches soon became impossible to ignore. She was also alarmed when her dentist warned that her molars were eroding. “I was in so much pain,” she recalls. “My face was changing shape and my teeth were at risk of breaking – I knew I had to do something about it.” At 31, Ella has been diagnosed with bruxism, a condition characterized by persistent teeth grinding, which she says the treatment she has received has dramatically improved her quality of life.
Bruxism is believed to affect approximately one in four people in the UK, according to various studies, although many remain unaware they suffer from it until symptoms appear. The British Dental Association notes anecdotal evidence suggesting an increase in cases, though no hard data confirms this. Meanwhile, dentists have reported growing concern over the rise of younger patients exhibiting dental damage linked to excessive grinding. Dr Aditi Desai, president of the British Society of Dental Sleep Medicine, agrees that bruxism is becoming more widespread, attributing it largely to the stress prevalent in modern life. “It is definitely on the rise,” she comments.
The term bruxism covers several types of jaw movements, including clenching, grinding, bracing, and thrusting. Some people experience these actions primarily during sleep, while others may do so in waking hours, often without realizing it. Symptoms include worn or chipped teeth, jaw stiffness, facial pain, disrupted sleep, and increased tooth sensitivity. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy has observed a rise in discussions about teeth grinding in therapy settings, correlating it with mental health awareness. Psychotherapist Rahi Popat explains that many younger clients connect their teeth grinding to stressful periods in their lives, often marking the onset or intensification of the condition.
Stress and trauma activate the body’s “fight or flight” response, increasing heart rate and muscle tension. Because the jaw muscles are closely linked to the nervous system via cranial nerves, they are often caught up in this reaction, leading to teeth clenching and grinding. Popat describes nocturnal grinding as the body’s way of releasing tension built up during the day. Ella relates her own teeth grinding to her high-functioning anxiety. She says, “I’m busy, and I go out a lot to mask it.” After years of enduring pain, a dental warning prompted her to seek treatment, opting for Botox injections into her jaw muscles, which has improved her sleep, reduced pain, and lessened facial tension.
Dentists like Dr Simon Cove use 3D scanning technology to assess damage caused by grinding, which can be substantial over time. He notes that many patients are unaware they grind their teeth until the damage becomes apparent, and in severe cases, restoration can be complex and costly. However, such extreme damage develops gradually and is not common. According to Dr Aditi Desai, addressing bruxism properly requires identifying underlying causes rather than just treating symptoms like wearing mouthguards. Conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which may trigger grinding to open a blocked airway, must be considered. Professor Frank Lobbezoo, a researcher in this field, points out that while bruxism can cause problems, it also plays a role in saliva production, oral hygiene, and digestion, and may even stimulate brain blood flow, aiding cognition.
Treatment for bruxism involves
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