Awake clenching
Teeth pressed together while concentrating, driving, at the computer or in the gym. Usually silent, and often noticed as tight jaw muscles by late afternoon.
Bruxism & clenching
Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) Treatment in Dubai
Grinding at night and clenching by day load the teeth far more than chewing does. Treatment protects the teeth, eases the jaw and repairs damage only once it is protected.
- Night guards custom-made from a scan
- TMJ assessment for jaw pain
- Open daily 10:00–20:00
If someone has heard you grinding at night, or you wake with a sore jaw, mention it when you book.
Quick answer
How is teeth grinding treated?
Teeth grinding (bruxism) is usually managed rather than cured. A custom night guard protects the teeth during sleep, daytime clenching is reduced through habit awareness and stress management, and jaw pain is assessed separately. At Creative Arts in Dubai, wear, cracks and the jaw muscles are examined first, and damaged teeth are repaired once they are protected.
27 yearsIn-house dental laboratory in the same building
Written planItemised treatment plan before you commit
Open daily10:00–20:00, seven days a week
Jumeirah 3614 Jumeira St, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
Two habits, one name
Clenching by day, grinding by night: what is the difference?
Bruxism covers both. Many people do one without knowing, and some do both.
Sleep grinding
Rhythmic grinding or clenching during sleep, sometimes loud enough for a partner to hear. You are not aware of it, so the clues are worn teeth and morning symptoms.
Why the forces matter
When you chew, food cushions the teeth and contact is brief. Grinding is tooth on tooth, often for long periods, which wears enamel, cracks teeth and breaks restorations.
Signs
What are the signs that you grind your teeth?
Most people learn they grind from the damage or the morning symptoms rather than from the habit itself.
Flat, worn or chipped teeth
Front teeth that have become shorter and even, back teeth with shiny flat facets, or small chips along the biting edges.
Morning jaw ache or headache
Tired or aching jaw muscles on waking, or a dull headache in the temples that eases during the day.
Sensitive teeth
Wear and flexing at the neck of the tooth can expose dentine, so cold and brushing start to twinge.
Cracked teeth and broken fillings
Sharp pain on biting one tooth, fillings or crowns that chip or come loose repeatedly, or a veneer that fractures.
Someone hears it
A partner or family member reports a grinding sound at night. Ridges on the sides of the tongue or the inside of the cheeks are another clue.
Causes
What causes teeth grinding?
There is rarely one cause, and the evidence points more to how the brain regulates sleep and stress than to the teeth themselves. Factors that are commonly linked include:
- Stress and anxiety: the clearest link for daytime clenching, and a frequent trigger for periods of heavier night grinding.
- Sleep: grinding is more common with disturbed sleep and snoring. If you snore loudly, stop breathing at night or feel sleepy during the day, mention it to your doctor, because that needs a medical opinion.
- Caffeine, alcohol and smoking: all are associated with more grinding, especially later in the day.
- Some medicines: certain medicines, including some antidepressants, can increase clenching. Never stop a medicine on your own; discuss it with the doctor who prescribed it.
- The bite: a high filling or crown can trigger clenching and should be checked. Beyond that, the bite is less often the main cause than was once thought, so grinding the teeth down to “balance” the bite is not a first step.
Seek prompt dental assessment if…
your jaw locks, or you suddenly cannot open or close your mouth fully; there is severe facial or jaw pain; a tooth hurts sharply on biting or releasing, which can mean a crack; or a filling, crown or veneer has broken and left a sharp or painful tooth. The clinic is open daily, 10:00–20:00, with no overnight service. Swelling with fever, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, needs a hospital emergency department immediately.
Diagnosis
How do dentists confirm grinding?
There is no single test. The diagnosis comes from your history, the pattern of wear and how the jaw and muscles behave.
Your history
Morning symptoms, headaches, stress, sleep, caffeine, medicines and anything a partner has noticed.
Wear pattern
Flat facets that match when the jaw slides, chipped edges and worn restorations show where and how hard you grind. Photos or a scan record the starting point.
Jaw joint and muscles
How far and how straight the jaw opens, clicking, and tenderness in the chewing muscles. Jaw pain is referred for a fuller TMJ assessment.
Teeth and restorations
Cracks, broken fillings and sensitive teeth are checked, with X-rays where needed, so urgent damage is dealt with first.
Jaw pain, clicking or locking? Start with a TMJ assessment
Grinding and jaw-joint problems often overlap, but they are not the same thing. If your main problem is pain in the jaw, around the ear or on opening, book a TMJ assessment with Dr. Valeriia Kozachenko, Specialist Orthodontist with a focus on TMJ and jaw function. That page explains how jaw symptoms are examined and why conservative, reversible care comes first.
Treatment options
Teeth grinding treatment options, from protection to repair
Protection and habit change come first. Repairs are planned once the teeth are protected, otherwise new work simply wears or breaks in the same way.
| Option | When it fits | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Habit awareness and stress management | Daytime clenching, and anyone whose grinding worsens with stress, caffeine or alcohol | Lips together, teeth apart as a resting position; reminders during the day; cutting back on late caffeine and alcohol. Free, but takes practice |
| Custom night guard | Night grinding with wear, cracks, sensitivity or morning jaw ache | Custom-made from a scan of your teeth and adjusted at fitting. It protects the teeth and spreads the load; it does not stop the habit |
| TMJ assessment | Jaw pain, clicking with pain, locking or limited opening | Examination of the joint and muscles with Dr. Valeriia Kozachenko; a splint may be discussed alongside other conservative measures |
| Composite bonding | Chipped edges or small areas of wear on a few teeth | Adds tooth-coloured material with little or no drilling; may need repair over time if grinding continues |
| Crowns and treatment for a cracked tooth | A tooth that is cracked or has lost a large part of its structure | Holds the tooth together and restores biting; a night guard is still advised to protect the new crown |
| Full mouth rehabilitation | Severe wear across many teeth, where the bite has lost height | Planned digitally and in stages, often trialled first; the largest commitment, reserved for advanced cases |
For the full range of options for teeth that are already short or flat, see worn teeth. Other approaches some clinics offer for grinding are outside the scope of this page; ask at your assessment if you have questions about them.
What not every case needs
What a night guard can and cannot do
Grinding is a long-term habit that comes and goes. Setting the right expectations avoids over-treatment.
What protection and habit change do
- Protect enamel, fillings, crowns and veneers from further wear
- Spread the load, which often eases morning jaw ache
- Give a clear record of how heavily you grind as the guard wears
- Make later repairs last longer
What not every case needs
- A guard manages grinding; it does not cure it, and the habit usually continues underneath
- Not everyone with worn teeth needs crowns: mild, stable wear may only need protection and monitoring
- Grinding the bite down or rebuilding the whole mouth is not a first step
- Clicking without pain or locking does not necessarily need treatment
Who treats you
Who assesses grinding and repairs the damage
Dr. Valeriia Kozachenko, Specialist Orthodontist, assesses jaw joint and muscle symptoms. Dr. Kinan Bonni and Dr. Marina Antoniuk look after the teeth themselves: protecting them and restoring worn, cracked or broken teeth and restorations.
Patient questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a pharmacy mouthguard as good as a custom night guard?
Not usually for grinding. Boil-and-bite guards are bulky, can be uncomfortable to sleep in and may wear through quickly. A custom night guard is made from a scan of your teeth, fits closely and is adjusted so the jaw is not pushed into an awkward position. A shop-bought guard can be a short-term stopgap while you wait for an appointment.
Is teeth grinding the same as a TMJ problem?
No, although they overlap. Grinding is a habit that loads the teeth and muscles; TMJ disorders affect the jaw joint and the muscles that move it. Many people grind with no jaw pain, and some have jaw pain without grinding. If pain, clicking with pain or locking is your main concern, a TMJ assessment is the right starting point.
Can stress cause me to clench my jaw during the day?
Yes. Daytime clenching is closely linked to stress, concentration and physical effort, and it is usually silent. Check yourself during the day: at rest, your lips should be together and your teeth slightly apart. Short reminders, such as a note on your screen, help break the habit over a few weeks.
Can grinding crack a crown or an implant?
It can damage both. Grinding can chip or crack ceramic crowns and veneers, loosen the screw that holds an implant crown and overload the implant. Implants do not have the natural cushioning of a tooth's ligament, so heavy forces pass straight through. A night guard is usually advised after crowns, veneers or implant restorations if you grind.
Will a night guard stop me grinding?
Usually not. Most people continue to grind into the guard rather than on their teeth, which is the point: the guard takes the wear instead of your enamel and restorations. Many people find their morning jaw ache eases. The habit itself is reduced by managing stress, sleep and caffeine rather than by the guard.
How long does a night guard last, and how do I look after it?
It depends on how heavily you grind; some guards last years, others show wear sooner. Rinse it in cool water, brush it gently without toothpaste, let it dry and keep it in its case. Avoid hot water, which can distort it, and bring it to check-ups so the fit and wear can be checked.
Do children grind their teeth?
Grinding is common in young children, often during sleep, and many grow out of it as their adult teeth come in. Wear on baby teeth is usually monitored rather than treated. If a child has jaw pain, headaches or worn adult teeth, a dental check is worthwhile. See our pediatric dentistry page.
Keep exploring
Related treatments
Jaw jointTMJ assessment & jaw painPain, clicking or locking assessed by Dr. Valeriia Kozachenko.ConditionWorn teethShort, flat or thinning teeth and every way to rebuild them.ConditionCracked toothSharp pain on biting, and whether the tooth can be saved.BondingComposite bondingRepairing chipped and worn edges with little or no drilling.CrownsDental crownsProtecting cracked or heavily worn teeth.RehabilitationFull mouth rehabilitationRebuilding the bite when wear is advanced.ConditionReceding gumsHow heavy forces and brushing push gums back.
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Tell us what you would like to change. The clinic replies within working hours with an appointment time.
- Address614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
- Opening hoursClinic open daily, 10:00–20:00
- Phone+971 4 342 4444 · WhatsApp +971 56 677 7537
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