Reviewed by Dr. Amanda Murphy, DMD, August 10, 2026
Most people who grind or clench at night have no idea they do it. The habit lives in your sleep, and the evidence shows up secondhand: mornings that start with a tight jaw or a dull headache, teeth that look shorter or feel newly sensitive, a partner who can hear it from the other side of the bed. Dentists often spot it before patients do, because grinding leaves fingerprints on teeth that are hard to miss up close.
Here is how to recognize it, what it does over time, and how a night guard helps.
Signs you might be grinding or clenching
- Morning jaw tightness, soreness, or fatigue: the muscles you chew with feel like they already did a workout
- Dull morning headaches, often at the temples
- Flattened, chipped, or shorter-looking teeth, or edges that look worn and glassy
- Cold sensitivity across many teeth, frequently worst on waking; see Why Are My Teeth Sensitive?
- Scalloped edges on your tongue or a ridge inside your cheeks: pressure marks from clenching
- Cracked fillings or teeth that keep needing repair
- A partner who hears it: grinding can be surprisingly loud
Clenching is the quieter sibling of grinding: little movement, no sound, enormous force. It damages more slowly but produces plenty of jaw and muscle trouble of its own.
Why it matters
Chewing forces are meant to be brief. Grinding and clenching apply those forces for stretches at a time, night after night, and teeth respond the way any material under repeated load does: they wear, they flex, and eventually some of them crack. Enamel that took decades to grow can be shortened noticeably in a few hard years, and once it is gone, it does not grow back.
The collateral damage extends beyond enamel: dental work fails sooner, gum recession can accelerate, jaw muscles and joints get overworked. Grinding is one of the common threads we see in patients with TMJ symptoms like jaw pain, clicking, and tension headaches.
None of this is meant to alarm you. Plenty of people grind mildly and intermittently, often in stressful seasons, and need nothing more than awareness and watching. The goal is knowing which category you are in before the expensive category chooses you.
What a night guard actually does
A night guard does not stop you from grinding (nothing reliably does), and it is worth being honest about that. What it does is change what absorbs the force. Instead of enamel wearing against enamel, the guard takes the wear; instead of full-force tooth-on-tooth contact, the guard spreads and cushions the load. Many patients also find their jaw muscles settle down because the guard changes how hard they can clamp.
A professionally made guard is built from a digital scan of your teeth (at Winnetka Dental Group we take that scan with the iTero scanner, no goopy impressions) and adjusted so your bite meets it evenly. It is slim, custom-fitted, and made from materials meant to last years of nightly use, with periodic checks at your regular visits.
What about the drugstore boil-and-bite guards?
They are inexpensive and better than nothing for a short trial, and they have honest downsides: bulkier fit, softer materials that some heavy grinders chew through quickly, and no control over how your bite meets the guard. Some people do fine with them; others find them uncomfortable enough to abandon by week two, which protects nothing. If you are unsure whether you would tolerate wearing something at night, a short drugstore trial can be informative. Just treat it as a test run, not the long-term plan, and let us look at your specific wear pattern before you invest either way.
What we look at before recommending anything
Grinding is a finding, not automatically a prescription. At an exam we look at where the wear actually is, whether it is active or old news, how your existing dental work is holding up, and whether your jaw muscles and joints are involved. iTero scans taken over time make change measurable: we can show you whether the wear is progressing or stable, on screen. If a guard makes sense, we will say why; if watching makes sense, we will say that instead. And when symptoms point past simple grinding into persistent jaw pain or headaches, we will talk through TMJ evaluation options as well.
Common questions from patients
How do I know if I grind my teeth if nobody hears it?
Look for the morning pattern: jaw tightness, temple headaches, tooth sensitivity that is worst on waking, plus visible clues like flattened tooth edges. An exam settles it: active grinding leaves wear patterns a dentist can see and track over time.
Why do people grind their teeth?
It is often multi-factor: stress and sleep quality are common threads, some medications and stimulants can contribute, and sleep-breathing problems are linked to grinding in some people. If your grinding comes with loud snoring or gasping in sleep, mention it. That pattern deserves a conversation with your physician, and we provide oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea once a physician has made a diagnosis.
Will a night guard stop my grinding?
No, and be wary of anything that promises to. A guard redirects the damage onto a replaceable appliance instead of irreplaceable enamel, and many people find their jaw symptoms ease as well. Individual results vary, which is why we check how yours is working rather than assuming.
Can kids grind their teeth?
Yes, and many outgrow it. Grinding is common in children and usually monitored rather than treated. Bring it up at their checkup; what we watch for is unusual wear on adult teeth as they come in.
How long does a night guard last?
Several years is common, but it genuinely depends on how hard you grind. Heavy grinders can wear through faster. The guard gets a quick look at your regular checkups, which is also how we catch it doing its job: wear on the guard is wear that did not happen to your teeth.
What does a custom night guard cost?
It depends on the type of guard that fits your situation, and our front office will give you clear numbers before anything is made. Call or text (847) 441-5939. We file insurance claims on your behalf; our membership plans take a percentage off treatment for members.
Waking up with a tired jaw?
Bring it up. It is one of the most fixable expensive-problems-in-waiting in dentistry. Request an appointment or call or text (847) 441-5939. Winnetka Dental Group, 715 Elm St, Winnetka, IL 60093, since 1988.
Related reading: Why Are My Teeth Sensitive? · TMJ care at WDG · What Happens at a Dental Checkup?
This information is general education, not a diagnosis.
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