A guard protects your teeth but does not stop the grinding. The cause is usually stress, sleep or medication.
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Bruxism is grinding or clenching the teeth, and it comes in two distinct forms that are worth separating.
The forces involved are considerable — far greater than normal chewing, and sustained for far longer, which is how teeth get worn flat and jaw muscles ache.
The key point: a mouthguard protects your teeth but does not stop you grinding. It is armour, not treatment. Anything that improves it works on the cause — stress, sleep, or medication.
Morning headache plus jaw tightness is the classic pairing, and it is regularly investigated as a headache disorder before anyone asks about grinding.
Frequently overlooked: SSRIs and SNRIs are a recognised cause, as are some antipsychotics and stimulant medication for ADHD. Bruxism that started within weeks of a new antidepressant is worth raising — it can often be managed rather than tolerated.
Usually from the pattern of symptoms plus what a dentist can see. Tooth wear, jaw muscle tenderness and the classic morning headache are enough in most cases.
Your dentist is genuinely the best person to assess the dental side, and they will spot wear long before you notice it.
Sleep studies are not needed to diagnose bruxism, but may be needed to diagnose the sleep apnoea sitting behind it.
This assesses well remotely, because the diagnosis comes from the history — though the dental side belongs with a dentist.
We cannot examine your teeth or your jaw joint, and we do not make splints. A dentist assesses the wear and provides the guard, and that part is not something a GP service replaces.
What we can do that dentistry often does not is look for why you are grinding, which is where sleep apnoea and medication side effects sit.
A prescription is never guaranteed, and there is no medicine that reliably stops bruxism.
Notice it, then correct the position: lips together, teeth apart, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth. Teeth should only touch when you are eating. Setting phone reminders to check this genuinely works, because the whole problem is that it is unconscious.
The split here is unusual, and worth understanding before you spend anything.
The dental side is dental, and mostly not free. NHS dentistry charges band fees, and a custom night guard is commonly a private cost. A dentist-made splint costs considerably more than an off-the-shelf guard — and it fits properly, which matters, because a poorly fitting guard can make jaw symptoms worse.
The medical side is free on the NHS — sleep apnoea assessment, mental health support and medication review all sit with your GP.
Where a private GP consultation is genuinely worth it:
This page reflects NHS guidance on teeth grinding and current UK dental and sleep medicine practice.
The recognised association between bruxism and obstructive sleep apnoea is well described in the sleep medicine literature, and screening for it is emphasised here because it is the finding with the greatest health consequence beyond the teeth.
SSRI and SNRI-induced bruxism is a documented adverse effect and appears in UK medicines information.
The position on occlusal adjustment — that reshaping the bite is not supported as a treatment for bruxism — reflects Cochrane and specialist dental consensus, as does the framing of splints as protective rather than curative.
No — it protects your teeth from the damage. That is worth having, but it does not address why you are grinding, and people are often disappointed when the jaw ache continues.
Because the jaw muscles have been working all night. Morning headache around the temples with jaw tightness is the classic pattern, and it is frequently investigated as a headache disorder first.
Possibly — SSRIs and SNRIs are a recognised cause and this is commonly missed. If the grinding started within weeks of starting or increasing one, raise it. It can usually be managed rather than endured.
More than most people realise. Grinding often clusters around the arousals that follow breathing pauses. Treating the apnoea frequently improves the bruxism — and matters far more for your heart and blood pressure.
Much less than was once believed. Stress, sleep and medication are the main drivers, and reshaping teeth to "correct" the bite is not supported as a treatment.
It can reduce muscle bulk and pain for some people, but the evidence is limited, it does not treat the cause, and it needs repeating. Not a first step.
Enamel does not grow back, so wear is permanent — which is why protecting them early matters. See a dentist rather than waiting until teeth are sensitive or chipping.
September 8, 2026
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Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
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It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
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