You may find that you clench or grind your teeth, although most people who do aren’t aware of it. Sometimes can be caused by anxiety, but generally most people clench their teeth when they are concentrating on a task - housework, gardening, car mechanics, typing and so on.

You may wake up in the morning with a stiff jaw or tenderness when you bite together. This could be due to clenching or grinding your teeth in your sleep. Most people who grind their teeth do it while they are asleep and may not know they are doing it.

If you suffer from severe headaches, or neck and shoulder pain, you may not have linked this with possible jaw problems. Or you may keep having pain or discomfort on the side of your face around your ears or jaw joints or difficulty in moving your jaw. These are all symptoms of TMJ problems.

If you are missing some teeth at the back of your mouth, this may lead to an unbalanced bite, which can cause uneven pressure on your teeth.

Together, all these symptoms are called ‘TMJ syndrome’.

How are occlusal problems treated?

Depending on the problems you are having, it can be possible to spot the signs of an occlusal problem. Various muscles may be sore when tested, or the broken and worn areas of your teeth will show you are grinding your teeth - a common sign of an incorrect bite.

If your dentist suspects that your problems are due to an incorrect bite, he or she may help to diagnose the problem by supplying a temporary soft nightguard or hard plastic appliance called a bite splint that fits over your upper or lower teeth. This appliance needs to be measured and fitted very accurately so that when you bite on it, all your teeth meet at exactly the same time in a position where your muscles are relaxed. You may have to wear this all the time or, just at night. If the appliance relieves your symptoms then your bite may need to be corrected permanently.

Teeth grinding and jaw clenching especially at night are often symptoms associated with stress. Known as Nocturnal Bruxism, it often results in chronic headaches, face pain, jaw pain and clicking jaw joints as well as damage to teeth and enamel.

1. Bruxism (pronounced BRUK-sizm) is the forceful clenching and/or grinding of the teeth. In most people, bruxism is mild enough not to be a health problem; however, some people suffer from significant bruxism that can later become a problem. Bruxism often occurs during sleep and can even occur during short naps.

People who suffer from bruxism will sometimes grind their molars (back teeth) together, which usually is loud enough to wake a sleeping partner. Given enough time, dental damage will typically occur. Teeth grinding is the significant cause of tooth loss.

Most people are not aware of their bruxism and only 5 to 10 percent go on to develop symptoms such as jaw pain and headache.

Unfortunately, there's no known cure for bruxism. Ongoing management of bruxism is based on minimising the abrasion of your tooth's surfaces by the wearing of a custom fitted bite splint, which is designed to the shape of your upper or lower teeth.

Bite Splint

A bite splint is an acrylic tray that is worn during the day or at night, preventing the teeth on top from meeting with the teeth on the bottom. It is a supporting appliance for people who suffer from bruxism (grinding of the teeth) or TMJ problems (problems of the jaws).

This appliance is custom-made in a dental laboratory from an impression of the teeth,  this optimize's  comfort and retention.