Waking up occasionally with a tight jaw? Noticing flat or chipped teeth or fillings? If you’ve been told you grind your teeth at night — or suspect you do — you’re not alone. Bruxism, the dental term for teeth grinding or clenching, affects a significant number of adults. But is it normal?
Let’s take a closer look at what causes adult bruxism, whether it’s something to worry about, and what you can do if it’s happening to you.
What Is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth. It can happen while you’re awake (awake bruxism) or during sleep (sleep bruxism). Most people with sleep bruxism aren’t aware of it — until their dentist points out signs of wear, or a partner complains about the noise.
How Common Is It?
According to the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, sleep bruxism affects about 8–15% of adults, while awake bruxism may be even more prevalent, particularly in people under stress (Lobbezoo et al., 2013). It’s not “unusual” to grind your teeth — but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored.
Why Do Adults Grind Or Clench Their Teeth?
Bruxism is often multifactorial, meaning there’s usually more than one cause. Common contributors include:
- Stress and anxiety
- Sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnoea)
- Certain medications (especially antidepressants like SSRIs)
- Lifestyle habits like caffeine or alcohol use
Interestingly, many adults with bruxism are otherwise healthy, which is why it can be overlooked until it causes damage.
Is It Harmful?
Not always — but it can be.
Some people grind occasionally with little impact. But for others, bruxism can lead to:
- Prematurely worn, flattened, or chipped teeth and/or fillings
- Chronic jaw pain or tightness
- Headaches (especially in the temples)
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD)
- Disturbed sleep (for both you and your partner)
If left unmanaged, long-term bruxism can potentially cause serious dental damage and contribute to chronic jaw discomfort.
What Does the Research Say?
A 2020 review in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that sleep bruxism often occurs during periods of sleep arousal or airway restriction, particularly in people with undiagnosed OSA (Macedo et al., 2020). The grinding may be the body’s way of briefly reopening the airway – but it comes at a cost to your teeth and temporomandibular joints.
Another study in Clinical Oral Investigations found that up to 50% of patients with bruxism also reported symptoms of TMD, suggesting a strong link between grinding and jaw dysfunction (Wieckiewicz et al., 2014).
So… Is It Normal?
It’s common, but not something to ignore.
Think of bruxism like high blood pressure — it’s often silent, but over time, it can wear down your body (or in this case, your teeth and temporomandibular joints). So while it’s “normal” in the sense that many people do it without consequence, it’s not healthy to leave it unaddressed if it is starting to cause more than occasional jaw discomfort.
What Can You Do?
Attend your general dental appointments regularly. General dentists are trained to monitor for premature wear of teeth and will always check this at your regular dental checkups. They may also recommend a night splint to help protect your teeth.
At SleepWise Clinic, we specialise in helping adults with sleep-related bruxism using evidence-based, non-invasive approaches. This includes:
- Custom-fitted nylon night or mandibular advancement splints to protect your teeth
- Screening for obstructive sleep apnoea
- Regular monitoring of jaw joint and bite function
Worried About Grinding Or Clenching?
If you’re constantly waking with jaw pain and discomfort, noticing that your teeth are looking a bit more worn, or just curious whether bruxism might be affecting your sleep, book a consultation with our SleepWise Sleep Medicine Dentists.
We’ll assess your bite, explore possible underlying obstructive sleep apnoea, and create a tailored treatment plan — so you can sleep peacefully, protect your smile, and feel better in the morning.
