SailerClinic

Specialist areas

About us

Teeth Grinding and Clenching

If you wake up in the morning with a tense jaw and aching teeth, you may be suffering from bruxism – the unconscious grinding and clenching of the teeth. This common yet often underestimated phenomenon involves clenching and grinding your teeth together, which can cause damage to the teeth and the entire jaw. If the grinding and clenching persist over a longer period of time, headaches and pain in the masticatory muscles, and even craniomandibular dysfunctions, may result. The SailerClinic specialises in teeth grinding and bruxism, and will be happy to support you on the road to recovery.

Causes of Teeth Grinding

Stress, sleep disorders and fears are the most frequent triggers of bruxism. An incorrect bite due to crooked or missing teeth can also play a role. If nothing is done about teeth grinding or clenching, not only is there a risk of tooth damage, but the effects can affect the entire body: The consequences are often limited to an unstable bite or the loosening, breaking or falling out of teeth. However, teeth grinding can also have a negative effect on the jaw joints and jaw muscles and cause CMD disorders such as pain in the jaw joint and headaches. Excessive teeth grinding can also lead to a loss of tooth substance, which can make dental implants, root canal treatments or dentures necessary.

Duration of the treatment

30 Minutes

Fit for everyday life

Immediately

Follow-up treatment

Splint therapy

Clinic stay

Outpatient

The most frequently asked questions

Bruxism refers to the unconscious grinding and clenching of teeth, usually during sleep. This can lead to tension, tooth damage, and discomfort in the chewing muscles, potentially resulting in temporomandibular joint dysfunctions (TMD).

Stress, sleep disorders, and anxiety are among the most common triggers. A misaligned bite due to crooked or missing teeth can also contribute to bruxism.

Typical symptoms include:

  • Temporomandibular joint pain
  • Tension in the jaw and neck
  • Headaches
  • Tooth damage such as wear or loose teeth
    In severe cases, TMD disorders and discomfort throughout the musculoskeletal system may occur.

The treatment is personalized and includes:

  • Splint therapy to stabilize the lower jaw
  • Physiotherapy and relaxation techniques
  • In more complex cases, surgical jaw corrections

Your first point of contact is your dentist. Often, interdisciplinary collaboration with physiotherapists, sleep specialists, or orthopedists is necessary to effectively treat the causes.

A personalized therapy can significantly alleviate or completely resolve bruxism. Splints and relaxation techniques often provide quick relief, while surgical measures in more complex cases allow for long-term improvements.

Symptoms of Teeth Clenching

One particularly serious consequence of teeth grinding and clenching is temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD). This disorder causes the joints of the jaw to malfunction, affecting the entire range of jaw movement. The resulting complaints can affect the entire body and manifest themselves, for example, in symptoms such as pain in the masticatory muscles or tension in the jaw and neck. Restrictions when opening the mouth and cracking of the jaw joints also occur regularly.

The most common symptoms are:

  • Jaw joint pain
  • Earaches/tinnitus
  • Tension or tightness in the neck muscles
  • Back and shoulder pain
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Headaches
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Teeth grinding/clenching

Additional symptoms of TMD can occur individually:

  • In the head area
    • Visual disturbances
    • Dizziness
    • Torticollis
    • Joint blockages
  • Movement limitations
    • In the arms and legs
    • Numbness or tingling in the arms
    • Numbness or swelling in the fingers
    • Problems with the intervertebral discs
  • In the internal organs
    • Digestive issues
    • Breathing difficulties
  • In the pelvic area
    • Pelvic misalignment
    • Leg length discrepancies
  • In the legs
    • Radiating pain throughout the body
    • Circulatory problems
    • Hip and knee pain

Before-and-after pictures

Bruxism Treatment – Help for Teeth Grinding

Modern bruxism treatment takes a holistic approach, with the cause of your individual teeth grinding being the decisive factor. As a first aid for teeth grinding, teeth grinding or a specially adapted splint often form the basis of the therapy. The latter stabilises the lower jaw at night and leads to a balanced strain on the jaw muscles. In combination with targeted physiotherapy and relaxation techniques, the symptoms can be significantly alleviated. In severe cases, a surgical correction of the jaw joints can help.

Teeth Grinding – What to Do?

Your first point of contact if you suspect that someone is grinding their teeth while sleeping is their dentist. This is because modern diagnostic procedures can detect the first signs of bruxism during routine check-ups. Since teeth grinding at night is often accompanied by sleep disorders, we work closely with specialised sleep doctors as part of the teeth grinding treatment. In many cases, interdisciplinary treatment is advisable anyway – especially if there is a misalignment of the jaw. The treatment of bruxism has proven to be extremely effective when performed by an interdisciplinary team in which dentists work closely with physiotherapists, sleep physicians and, if necessary, also with orthopaedists, ENT specialists or psychologists, to avoid teeth clenching at night.

Treating Teeth Grinding Through Jaw Correction

The use of splints and mouthguards often offers quick relief. They not only protect your teeth during the night, but also reduce the pressure on the entire jaw area. In combination with modern relaxation techniques, we regularly achieve significant improvements. In more complex cases, surgical intervention may be useful, which we, of course, only carry out after a comprehensive analysis and in close consultation with experienced orthodontists. This is because teeth grinding can cause the masseter muscle to enlarge, leading to an angular face or asymmetry if only one side is affected.

Customised Relaxation Splint

The innovative occlusal splint for nighttime teeth clenching from the SailerClinic is individually adapted to your occlusal surface and optimises the complex interplay between the jaw joint and masticatory muscles. This precise coordination leads to balanced loading of the jaw muscles and has a positive effect on the entire musculoskeletal system. In combination with targeted physiotherapy and relaxation techniques, teeth grinding at night can be stopped. If your teeth grinding at night is caused by a malformation of the jaw, surgical jaw correction is required to stop teeth grinding during sleep.

Diagnosis, Planning and Bruxism Treatment

At the SailerClinic, we work with you to develop a tailor-made treatment strategy to stop your teeth grinding at night. During a consultation and a comprehensive anamnesis, we identify the causes of your bruxism and draw up a precise treatment plan to achieve lasting improvement for you.

Let us improve your quality of life together. Contact us for a comprehensive consultation on teeth grinding while sleeping – we will find the optimal solution for you!

Your expert team

Hermann F. Sailer
Prof. Dr. med., Dr. med. dent., Dr. h. c. mult., Dr. sc. h. c. mult.

Specialist in oral, maxillofacial, and facial surgery, founder of the clinic, senior director

Carolin Nägeli-Pullankavumkal

Specialist in oral, maxillofacial, and facial surgery, senior physician

Do you have questions? Contact us.

Get in touch with us – Our expert team will contact you.

"After the surgery, I finally see the person I’ve always been on the inside. My confidence has increased tremendously, and I no longer hide from the world. Thank you to the team."

Angela B., Aesthetic Surgery Patient