5 Warning Signs You Might Be Grinding Your Teeth at Night

Do you wake up with a dull headache, a sore jaw, or unusually sensitive teeth? You might be experiencing sleep bruxism, which is the medical term for grinding your teeth at night. Because this behavior happens while you are fast asleep, it can be difficult to diagnose before real damage occurs. 

At Lakeside Family Dental in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Dr. Assia Fain, DMD, PhD, and our dedicated team help patients identify and treat the underlying causes of nighttime grinding. We offer various options to alleviate jaw pain permanently.

What are the warning signs of grinding your teeth at night?

According to a global clinical analysis published in the MDPI Journal of Clinical Medicine (2024), sleep bruxism may affect up to 43% of adults when evaluated with objective sleep studies. Recognizing the signs early is the best way to protect your long-term oral health.

Common warning signs of grinding your teeth at night include flattened tooth surfaces, morning jaw muscle soreness, marks on your tongue or inner cheeks, daytime fatigue, and sudden tooth sensitivity. When your jaw muscles contract forcefully during sleep, they place immense pressure on your entire mouth. Here are five key warning signs that you should look out for:

1. Accelerated tooth wear and damage. Forceful grinding wears down your protective enamel over time. During routine general dentistry exams, we often look for flattened biting surfaces, chipped edges, or fractured dental work that point to nighttime wear.
2. Morning jaw pain and muscle soreness. If you wake up with a tight, aching jaw, your muscles may be overworked. A study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (2025) found that patients with morning jaw muscle pain are more than five times as likely to have active sleep bruxism. This chronic strain can eventually lead to painful TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders.
3. A white line on your cheek or a scalloped tongue. Constant clenching often leaves physical marks on the soft tissues inside your mouth. You might notice a raised white line on the inside of your cheek caused by friction. Research shows that up to 51% of people with probable sleep bruxism have this white line, often alongside a scalloped tongue from pressing it against their teeth National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2023.
4. Feeling exhausted despite a full night of sleep. If you sleep for eight hours but still wake up tired, your jaw might be to blame. Nighttime grinding is closely linked to brief brain arousals that disrupt sleep quality without fully waking you, leaving your nervous system exhausted.
5. Increased tooth sensitivity. As grinding wears away your outer enamel, it exposes the sensitive inner layer of your teeth. This can make hot, cold, or sweet foods highly uncomfortable.

How we treat teeth grinding in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

We treat teeth grinding by protecting your smile with custom-made oral appliances and restoring any damaged teeth. At Lakeside Family Dental, we focus on conservative, highly effective treatments to keep your smile healthy and pain-free. 

Our team custom-fabricates stabilization splints, also known as night guards. These comfortable, hard acrylic guards physically separate your upper and lower teeth to absorb the heavy forces of grinding. 

If grinding has already damaged your teeth, we can restore your smile using durable dental bridges or dental implants. We also offer Invisalign® to help align your bite, which can reduce uneven wear. 

Don’t let nighttime grinding compromise your oral health. If you suspect you are grinding your teeth at night, schedule a visit with Dr. Fain and our team at Lakeside Family Dental today.