5 Signs You Might Be Grinding Your Teeth at Night

Teeth grinding is a pretty serious condition. It may disrupt your sleep, but it also does a number on your teeth. Of course, you may not even realize you’re grinding your teeth, and you might find yourself quite surprised when you have your dental exam in Reseda, CA and your dentist mentions it. There’s no hiding such a habit from your dentist, because, as we said, teeth grinding, sometimes called bruxism, is very damaging to your teeth. If you’re in between dentist visits but you have a sneaking suspicion this may apply to you, here are five telltale signs you may be grinding your teeth at night.

1. You Never Sleep Very Well

Do you wake up from a full eight hours of sleep only to find yourself yawning and sluggish throughout the day? If you need more than your usual morning wake-up routine, or if your head remains foggy all day long no matter how many cups of Joe you down, you might be a secret nighttime teeth grinder. That’s because the actual grinding might be disrupting your sleep so subtly that you don’t fully wake up, but your REM cycle is interrupted or stopped.

2. Your Jaws are Painful

Teeth grinding makes the jaws move in an unnatural direction. This puts strain on your jaw joints, and can result in a condition called TMJ.

3. Your Partner Doesn’t Sleep Well Either

People with bruxism tend to toss and turn a lot. So if you have a sleep partner, chances are your condition would disrupt their sleep as well. Hopefully, you don’t have a waterbed, because then things could get really bad.

4. Your Molars are Smooth

Just like a rock polisher, bruxism grinds down the surfaces of the molars. This may even make them smooth to the touch. Try running your tongue over your molars to see if this is the case for you.

5. You Can’t Chew as Well

Does it take longer to chew your favorite foods. Teeth grinding can negatively impact the functionality of your molars, which are in charge of chewing.

If you have a sneaking suspicion that you’re grinding your teeth at night, book an appointment with your Reseda, CA dentist today! Treatment is available and it could vastly improve your quality of life!