Why Jaw Clenching Happens & How To Stop It

If you’re noticing pain or tightness in your jaw, are struggling to open your mouth wide, or commonly experience “temple” headaches, it may be caused by excessive jaw clenching.

In this article, we explore the symptoms of jaw clenching, how it relates to teeth grinding (known as bruxism), what causes the issue, and offer some home and professional remedies to give you relief.

What is jaw clenching?

Jaw clenching is an excessive clenching of your jaws, which can be accompanied by teeth grinding. This may happen at night, during the day, or both, and lead to pain and tightness in your jaw, damaged teeth, and facial disorders like TMJ or TMD.

People who clench their jaw excessively may not necessarily grind their teeth, but the two often go hand in hand.

Jaw clenching symptoms

Excessive jaw clenching can be a difficult thing to identify, especially if it’s happening at night when you’re asleep. But there’s some telltale jaw clenching symptoms that will help you diagnose the problem. The most obvious of these is having jaw pain, usually accompanied by a feeling of tightness. If you experience this when you wake up in the morning, there’s a good chance you’ve been clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth during the night. If you sleep with a partner, they may also hear your teeth grinding at night.

People who clench their jaws may also have difficulty opening their mouths wide, due to the tightness and pain caused by excessive clenching. This can lead to headaches (particularly those that start in the temples) as well as earaches. If you grind your teeth at night, you may find that you often wake up feeling tired, in which case you should consider talking to a specialist about a potential disorder like sleep apnea (we discuss the full range of treatment options below).

Finally, the last glaring sign of excessive jaw clenching is having worn or loose teeth, or broken fillings. Although this is usually a severe case, and should be addressed immediately to prevent further damage to your precious teeth.

Jaw clenching causes

Jaw clenching is usually caused by emotional issues like stress and anxiety. Muscle tension is a common symptom of these emotions, which can include a consistent clenching of your jaw, leading to some of the issues described above.

For bruxism, misaligned teeth are another common cause, because they can rub together more easily.

Other potential causes for jaw clenching (or things that can make it worse) include:

• Clenching your teeth when focusing on something difficult. This can quickly form into a bad habit.
• Taking stimulating drugs like ecstasy and amphetamine, or cocaine to a lesser extent.
• Other illnesses or disorders like sleep apnea, ADHD, Parkinson’s disease, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, and night terrors.
• Drinking alcohol. This can trigger your jaw muscles to hyperactivate, leading to teeth nighttime grinding.
• Smoking. In one study, young heavy smokers were more than twice as likely to experience bruxism¹.
• Nutritional deficiencies such as a lack of vitamin D and calcium².
• Dehydration
• SSRI antidepressants

Jaw clenching is most common in children, adolescents, and young adults, but tends to go away when getting older. It might also be found more commonly in people who have an aggressive, hyperactive, or competitive personality type.

How to stop clenching your jaw—home remedies

There’s a few home remedies on how to stop clenching your jaw, but their effectiveness will depend on the cause of your jaw clenching. If you suspect it’s caused by being overly stressed or anxious, it’s best to incorporate some relaxing routines into your life, like meditation, reading, listening to soothing music, and getting regular massages. If possible, you should also consider fixing the source of the stress itself.

If you clench your jaw at night, focusing on your sleep hygiene can help a lot. There’s plenty you can do to get a better night’s rest, including:

• Drinking less caffeine during the day (particularly after 2 pm), or cutting it out completely.
• Getting more aerobic exercise during the day.
• Getting between 30 to 60 minutes of direct sunlight each day in order to encourage a healthy circadian rhythm. This works best between the hours of 6 am and 9 am³. Be sure to use sunscreen to protect against skin cancer.
• Avoid your screens like your phone and television two hours before going to bed. These devices emit blue light, which your brain identifies as sunlight, and blocks melatonin production (the hormone that regulates your circadian rhythm).
• Have a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends.

If you catch yourself grinding during the day, you can try putting the tip of your tongue between your teeth each time. With persistence, a habit will form that prevents you from clenching your jaw.

Jaw clenching treatment—professional remedies

Your first port of call with jaw clenching is a visit to the dentist. By assessing damage to your teeth, they can give you some idea of how badly you clench your jaw, and whether it has led to issues like TMJ or TMD. They’ll fix any damaged teeth you may have, and also be able to provide you with a mouth guard to wear at night (if this is when the clenching usually happens). If the problem is severe enough, and the dentist has the necessary qualifications, they may even recommend botox injections to relax your jaw muscles.

The dentist may recommend that you visit a GP, to address other issues outside of their scope. A GP can get a better understanding of whether your jaw clenching is stress-related, and potentially refer you to a therapist to improve your mental health. They might also recommend a relaxation therapist to teach you how to voluntarily relax your jaw muscles, as well as a sleep specialist to improve your sleep hygiene.

Finally, the last professional treatment that can help with jaw clenching is a head and neck massage, which helps to relax the muscles in those areas and reduce any pain or tension you’re feeling.

References

1. K. Rintakoski, D.D.S., J. Ahlberg, D.D.S., Ph.D., C. Hublin, M.D., Ph.D., F. Lobbezoo, D.D.S., Ph.D., R. J. Rose, Ph.D., H. Murtomaa, D.D.S., Ph.D., and J. Kaprio, M.D., Ph.D, Tobacco use and reported bruxism in young adults: A nationwide Finnish Twin Cohort Study, Nicotine & Tobacco Research
2. Mohammad J Alkhatatbeh, Zainab L Hmoud, Khalid K Abdul-Razzak, Esam M Alem, Self-reported sleep bruxism is associated with vitamin D deficiency and low dietary calcium intake: a case-control study, BMC Oral Health
3. Bright Light Therapy, Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia

Jaw clenching headache: Symptoms, causes, and more

Tension headaches are common and may occur when a person clenches their jaw. People may clench their jaw more often if they have bruxism, which is when a person unconsciously clenches or grinds their teeth.

For many people, bruxism is mild and does not need treatment. Severe bruxism can cause a person to develop damaged teeth, jaw pain, and other symptoms.

Additionally, headaches are a common symptom of bruxism, and experts suggest that jaw clenching may cause tension headaches.

This article discusses the link between jaw clenching and headaches. It also outlines the symptoms, causes, and treatment of tension headaches in relation to bruxism.

To discover more evidence-based information and resources for headache and migraine, visit our dedicated hub.

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A number of factors may play a role in tension headaches, including:

• intense work
• skipping meals
• depression
• anxiety
• not getting enough sleep

Bruxism may also play a role in the development of tension headaches.

One 2021 systemic review analyzed a number of studies into the associations between bruxism and headaches. It concluded that people with awake bruxism were between 5–17 times more likely to have tension headaches than people without bruxism.

If a person has a tension headache associated with jaw clenching they may experience mild to moderate pain.

The pain may feel like something is applying constant pressure to the:

• front of the face
• head
• neck

People most commonly experience pain that occurs on both sides of the head.

A person with a tension headache may develop unusual sensitivity to light and sound during the headache. However, they commonly do not experience a pre-headache aura that is associated with migraine.

There are a number of factors that may play a role in the development of bruxism. These include psychological factors, such as:

• stress
• changes in mood
• distress
• nervousness
• feeling sad

Other factors may include:

• genetics
• consuming caffeine and alcohol
• smoking
• taking certain medications for treating:
  • depression
  • seizures
  • attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Tension headaches may be an effect or symptom of bruxism.

Other possible causes of tension headaches include:

• mental or emotional conflict
• stress
• depression
• anxiety
• skipping meals
• not enough sleep
• sleep apnea

According to the American Migraine Foundation, when diagnosing a tension headache a doctor may carry out the following steps:

• review the person’s medical history and their family medical history
• evaluate the person’s specific symptoms
• conduct a physical examination

When evaluating a person’s symptoms a doctor may ask the person about the frequency, intensity, triggers, and duration of their headaches.

They may also ask them about their sleeping patterns and the amount of sleep they have been getting.

Additionally, a healthcare professional may ask a person about their stress levels.

A doctor would also need to determine whether there are any serious underlying causes of the tension headaches. This is because these headaches can share symptoms with other, more serious conditions, such as structural brain lesions.

A person may need to speak with a dentist if they suspect that they are experiencing tension headaches as a result of bruxism. A dentist may use diagnostic tests including:

• reviewing a person’s medical history
• conducting a dental examination
• ordering a sleep study, in which a healthcare professional monitors a person in their sleep to help detect sleep disorders and sleep bruxism
• taking X-rays of the jaw and teeth

The first step in treating a tension headache is to treat any specific conditions that may be causing the headache, including bruxism.

If a person’s tension headache is not associated with another disorder, a doctor may suggest using certain medications to treat it. For example, a person may treat headache pain with over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, including:

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• acetaminophen
• aspirin

A person may also make use of specific therapies to treat chronic tension headaches. These include:

• Biofeedback therapy: This is a type of therapy in which people learn to control bodily processes that are normally involuntary including muscle activity like jaw clenching.
• Relaxation training: This is a practice that helps activate the body’s relaxation response. This can help a person to achieve:
  • slower breathing
  • lower blood pressure
  • a reduced heart rate
• Meditation: This refers to a variety of practices that focus on integrating the mind and body. Meditation may help calm the mind and enhance overall well-being. Some types of meditation involve maintaining a mental focus on a particular sensation, while others involve maintaining attention or awareness on the present moment.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This is a type of therapy that helps adjust a person’s behavior by changing thinking patterns. CBT focuses on exploring different approaches to specific challenges.

If a person has infrequent tension headaches, they may ease their symptoms at home by having a hot shower or applying moist heat to the back of their neck. Other approaches that may ease symptoms include:

• physical therapy
• massage
• gentle neck exercises

Treating bruxism

A person may also need to treat bruxism, to help them stop clenching their jaw.

If a person has bruxism that does not occur due to another condition, treatment aims to:

• prevent the progression of tooth wearing and damage
• reduce teeth grinding sounds
• improve muscle discomfort

Treatments for sleep bruxism include:

• Improving sleep hygiene: This includes ensuring a person follows certain guidance in relation to their approach to sleep. Good sleep hygiene includes:
  • quitting smoking
  • avoiding drinking coffee or alcohol at night
  • limiting physical or mental activity before going to bed
  • ensuring the room is quiet and dark when going to bed
• Splint therapy: During splint therapy, a person wears an occlusal splint, which is similar to a mouth guard, that covers their teeth when they go to sleep. This approach is often the first-line strategy for preventing dental grinding noise and tooth wear in sleep bruxism.

A person may also wish to try some lifestyle changes to help improve their bruxism symptoms. These include:

• regularly visiting the dentist
• trying relaxing activities, such as yoga and meditation
• trying counseling to help reduce stress
• avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and smoking
• setting reminders to keep the teeth apart to avoid jaw clenching and teeth grinding throughout the day

If a person has ongoing symptoms of tension headaches they should speak with a doctor, particularly if the symptoms interfere with their daily life.

It is also important that a person speaks with a doctor because these symptoms are often similar to those associated with more serious conditions, such as structural brain lesions.

It is particularly important that a person visits a doctor if they develop new or different headache symptoms. They should also visit a doctor if they have progressive headaches that increase in frequency.

Bruxism is a condition that causes a person to clench their jaw or grind their teeth. When a person clenches their jaw, it may cause tension headaches.

Other causes of tension headaches include stress, depression, and anxiety.

A person may treat the symptoms of tension headaches with OTC pain relievers. Other possible treatments for tension headaches include biofeedback therapy, relaxation training, meditation, and CBT.

People may also wish to treat their bruxism to avoid developing jaw clenching headaches. Treatment for bruxism includes improving sleep hygiene and splint therapy.

A person should speak with a doctor for further information and advice about tension headaches and bruxism.

Bruxism in adults and children: causes and treatment

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Everyone is subject to stress. Nervous shock does not pass without a trace, the functionality of the body is disturbed. Dentists have noted a sharp increase in the incidence of bruxism in both adults and children.

Bruxism is a disease that causes the masticatory muscles to contract involuntarily, which tightens the jaw and gnashes the teeth.

A sharp contraction can last from a few seconds to several minutes. The attack is also accompanied by increased pressure, increased heart rate and respiratory failure. The specificity of the disease is such that it can manifest itself at any age. Bruxism in children is more common than in adults, but no one will give exact numbers. Most people are unaware of grinding their teeth at night in their sleep.

Bruxism, the causes of which are still not clearly defined, is caused by a sleep disorder. Doctors believe that aggressive people who hide anger relax only in their sleep, which is why bruxism manifests itself. Symptoms are also noticeable in people who have problems with bite, a violation of the structure of the face.

If you have identified brussism and its manifestation has no definite reasons, then it is worth visiting a doctor and undergoing an examination. The neglected form is dangerous by the occurrence of an epileptic attack, and the rattle irritates others. For people with bruxism, understanding and awareness of the need for medical care is important.

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• pathologies of the lower jaw joint;
• grinding of teeth;
• malocclusion;
• tooth hypersensitivity;
• brittle teeth, prone to fracture;
• frequent headaches, migraines;
• painful contractions of the facial muscles.

Bruxism is divided into day and night.

Nocturnal bruxism is more common and occurs during sleep. During the night, there may be several attacks, accompanied by strong clenching of the jaw and gnashing. Daytime bruxism is less common, but attacks correspond to nighttime ones.

Children’s bruxism doesn’t cause much of a problem, it’s more like a bad habit of grinding your teeth. But parents should pay attention, if the rattle is heard in a dream and the attack lasts more than 15 seconds, then this is dangerous for the rapid wear of teeth and damage to soft tissues. Severe attacks lead to the rise of the child with a severe headache and pain throughout the jaw. Such symptoms indicate that an urgent need to visit a doctor, only a qualified specialist will determine the severity of the disease and prescribe the right treatment.

An accurate diagnosis can be made using electromyography. Sensors are attached to the maxillofacial region and record impulses in a calm state and during chewing. According to the results, the doctor determines the severity of the disease, the nature and chooses a treatment strategy. It is also worth following some rules and watching your jaw. When closing, the upper and lower teeth should not touch. During the day, you should monitor your teeth and, in case of tension, try to relax your jaw. The right way to heal is to avoid stress. You need to learn self-control.

Teeth bruxism is also treated with the help of special caps, overlays on the teeth, which prevent their damage during attacks. Non-removable tires will allow you to set the head of the joint in the correct position and prevent muscle spasm, excessive pressure on the jaw. Any devices have the right to appoint and install a dentist, so come to us, we will restore the health of your teeth.

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what it is, causes, symptoms in adults, diagnosis and treatment at the dentist

Bruxism is an involuntary contraction of the masticatory muscles that causes grinding of the teeth or occasional clenching of the jaws. This pathology has not been fully investigated, therefore the exact causes of the appearance of bruxism cannot be named. However, it can occur at any age and significantly reduce the quality of life. Regular friction of hard tissues leads to thinning of the enamel, pain and periodontal disease.

Children’s bruxism is different from that of adults. It is more common and often occurs in response to diseases of the respiratory apparatus or ENT organs. Despite similar manifestations, children’s bruxism does not cause so much concern, since it disappears at a conscious age.

The main manifestation of bruxism is regular grinding of the teeth. It can appear at any time of the day. At night, a person is not aware of his actions. Spasms of the facial muscles cause the dentition to close, creating friction. Since such a state does not cause much discomfort at the beginning, the person does not wake up. Usually he does not even suspect the presence of pathology. During the day, creaking occurs consciously, but muscle contraction is uncontrollable, so it cannot be stopped. Bruxism is accompanied by other symptoms:

• Pain in the region of masticatory muscles
• Jaw discomfort
• Increased tooth sensitivity
• Dizziness
• Weakness in the body, drowsiness

Sometimes spasms occur only at night. In this case, it is almost impossible to notice the violation yourself. People from close circle or accompanying signs can tell about it.

Factors that provoke bruxism are not fully understood. Dentists only suggest the reasons for its appearance.

Bad habits

There is a version that bruxism develops due to the regular repetition of the same actions. For example, in stressful situations, many people chew on a pen or pencil. To do this, they specifically reduce the chewing muscles. In the future, such a reaction can be fixed in the cerebral cortex, and the body will begin to independently reproduce it during experiences.

Psychological stress

Closing jaws is a classic behavior of the body in situations of stress. People close their jaws to suppress negative emotions, to prevent them from breaking out. Frequent mental stress can lead to the development of the habit of clenching the teeth, which over time becomes automatic and will occur involuntarily.

Nervous system disorders

Structural or biochemical disorders of the nervous system cause seizures, so bruxism often occurs in people with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, tremors and other disorders. In this case, the grinding of teeth is not controlled as well as a number of other body reactions.

Insomnia

It is known that the quality of sleep affects the state of all body structures. A short or rare sleep affects the psycho-emotional state, leads to chronic fatigue and increased irritability. Negative emotions make the jaws clench. At first, a person does this consciously, but later a conditioned reflex is developed in him.

Bite anomalies

Features of the structure of the jaw also affect the development of bruxism. In the presence of “extra” dental units or their abnormal location, a person unconsciously tries to get rid of interfering elements. It also occurs when a filling, denture, or orthopedic structure is incorrectly installed.

Psychosomatics

Studies by German scientists have shown that teeth grinding at night is associated with mental disorders, suppression of negative emotions that cannot find a way out and show themselves through body reactions. According to this version, bruxism is the result of internal experiences and fears in a physical manifestation.

Regardless of the cause, chewing muscle spasms cause a lot of discomfort. Regular grinding of teeth leads to unpleasant consequences, among which are:

• Enamel thinning. The constant interaction of hard tissues with each other leads to a gradual decrease in enamel. Because of this, the teeth become overly sensitive, and later begin to decrease in size. This process occurs naturally as a result of age-related changes, but bruxism speeds it up several times.
• Pain syndrome. Since jaw clenching is not controlled, the teeth often pinch the oral mucosa, causing damage to it that causes discomfort during eating and hygiene procedures.
• Dizziness. Violation of the vestibular analyzer is a common symptom that accompanies many diseases. But if there are no other reasons for the appearance of dizziness, it is most likely caused by bruxism.
• Chronic fatigue. Feeling overwhelmed, a constant desire to sleep and other signs of increased fatigue are caused by poor sleep quality against the background of involuntary muscle contraction at night.

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To make a diagnosis, the doctor takes an anamnesis, palpates the area of ​​the chewing muscles, examines the oral cavity and evaluates the condition of the dentition. Only an integrated approach to the diagnosis of bruxism will help to identify its presence.

During the initial collection of information, the dentist specifies the causes of chips and cracks, existing complaints and the level of discomfort of the patient. The doctor’s experience plays a big role in making a diagnosis, since some manifestations of bruxism are more similar to CNS disorders. In this case, an inexperienced orthodontist will write a referral to a neurologist, believing that the treatment of symptoms is beyond his competence.

The facial muscles are also palpated during the diagnosis. In the presence of clamps, any pressure on the affected area causes pain. After a preliminary examination, the doctor prescribes a series of medical studies, the results of which make a diagnosis.

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The therapy is often based on the patient’s learning of cognitive-behavioral responses in situations of stress. Not only the dentist is working on solving the problem, but also the neurologist, psychotherapist or other specialists.

To relieve spasm of facial muscles, sedative drugs, B vitamins and other drugs are prescribed to help regulate metabolic processes, relieve tension, and improve sleep quality. Botulinum toxin injections temporarily stop involuntary muscle contractions, but after a few months their effect wears off and the procedure must be repeated. This method of therapy fights the manifestations of bruxism, but cannot eliminate its cause.

Orthodontist corrects disorders of the dentition. If there are no such violations, protective caps are made. At night, they are placed on the teeth to prevent damage to hard tissues.

I often prescribe osteopathic treatment to eliminate clamps in the masticatory muscles. Tactile techniques help to cope with the symptoms of bruxism, restore the regimen and improve the psycho-emotional state.

To avoid uncontrolled teeth grinding, you need to carefully monitor the health of the periodontium and regularly visit the clinic for preventive examinations. We must not forget about thorough oral hygiene and professional cleaning in the treatment room. These measures will help prevent the development of bruxism against the background of pathologies of the dentition.

Since all structures of the body are interconnected, one should be attentive to health in general. Quality sleep, a balanced diet, adherence to the daily routine – all this will help maintain the normal functioning of the systems of internal organs and prevent the development of uncontrolled physical reactions of the body.