The symptoms and treatment for clenching or grinding your teeth are not always the same.
Knowing the symptoms of each will help you explain to your health care provider exactly which one you have a problem with.
The goal of this article is to explain the differences between clenching and grinding.
Grinding of Teeth When we grind our teeth we're actually rubbing the top and bottom teeth together.
Grinding causes wear mostly on the chewing surfaces of our teeth but some wear can occur on the facial surface as well.
The facial surface is the surface of the teeth that we show when we smile...
hence the name facial.
Often when someone is grinding their teeth a loved one is the first to know! They hear the grinding while you're fast asleep.
At first you may be in denial but as time goes on you may start to develop some symptoms or your dental professional may mention it.
Here is a short list of the more common symptoms of grinding.
Teeth that are sensitive to temperatures...
usually cold more than hot, worn teeth, a jaw that's sore in the morning.
Sometimes you may have trouble opening your mouth really wide or staying open at the dentist.
There are many more symptoms and several treatments available.
Clenching of Teeth When we clench our teeth we're just holding them together...
tightly.
Think about clenching your hand when you make a fist, this is what we're doing with our teeth.
There is no moving or rubbing them together, only clenched tight.
Some of the symptoms associated with clenching could also be a sore jaw or trouble opening.
There generally is no wear on the teeth except in extreme cases.
One could also suffer from cracked teeth with either of these conditions.
A cracked tooth is another topic but almost always caused from someone with a very strong bite, someone grinding or clenching their teeth.
The older we get or those that have larger fillings in their teeth are more likely to suffer from cracked teeth.
On the other hand I've seen plenty of perfect teeth cracked from someone clenching or grinding.
There are many treatments available for both of these conditions.
Sometimes it's hard to determine what you should do.
I always recommend seeing your dental professional if you have any questions.
Try to figure out which of the two you're doing by monitoring your symptoms.
This insight will provide the professional a better idea of which course of treatment should be taken.