FIRST STEP
Assess teeth, jaw joints and bite
Jaw & Bite Care • Balwyn North
Jaw Grinding & TMJ Assessment
Understanding what your jaw is doing is the first step.
Grinding, clenching and jaw discomfort can affect your teeth, jaw joints and surrounding muscles. Your consultation begins with an individual assessment of your bite, teeth, jaw movement and symptoms before appropriate management options are discussed.
Jaw pain and grinding can have multiple contributing factors. Recommendations are made following individual dental assessment.
YOUR DENTAL ASSESSMENT
Concerned about jaw grinding? We assess your teeth, joints and bite.
Jaw grinding (bruxism) and clenching can cause tooth wear, jaw pain, joint problems and muscle discomfort. Assessment helps us understand what is happening and what management may be appropriate.
Tooth wear
Pattern and extent of grinding damage to the teeth
Jaw joints
Clicking, pain or limited jaw opening
Jaw muscles
Masseter size, tenderness and function
Bite
How the upper and lower teeth meet and load
Symptoms
Headaches, facial pain or jaw discomfort
Sleep and habits
Nocturnal grinding, clenching and contributing factors
Jaw grinding often happens during sleep, making it difficult to notice.
Your dentist will explain what the assessment reveals and discuss whether
a splint, another dental approach or referral to another health professional
is appropriate for your situation.
YOUR TREATMENT, AT A GLANCE
Jaw grinding.
Individual assessment and management for bruxism, clenching, tooth wear and jaw pain.
TOOTH WEAR
Recording the pattern and extent of damage
JAW JOINTS
Clicking, pain or limited opening
X-RAYS
Jaw joints and bone if indicated
CUSTOM SPLINT
A fitted appliance to protect the teeth
WEARING YOUR SPLINT
Generally at night or as directed
COSMETIC MEDICAL
Cosmetic Medical treatments or referral if appropriate
REVIEW APPOINTMENTS
Monitor response and adjust care over time
Jaw grinding management is individual. Not every patient needs a splint and not every symptom is caused by grinding. Your dentist will explain what your assessment shows and discuss the options relevant to your situation.
JAW GRINDING TREATMENT
What happens at your appointment.
We begin with a thorough assessment, then discuss the management options available for your situation.
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01
History & consultation
We take your medical and dental history and discuss your symptoms, habits and concerns to understand the problem.
-
02
Treatment pathway
We discuss the options suited to your assessment — a custom splint, physiotherapy, cosmetic medicine, or a combination.
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03
Begin treatment
Your chosen treatment is started — whether that is fitting a splint, beginning injections or initiating a referral.
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04
Review at 3–4 weeks
We assess your response to the first stage of treatment, check comfort and fit, and adjust the plan if needed.
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05
Maintenance
Ongoing reviews every 4–6 months to monitor wear, check your splint and maintain the result.
Lower-Face Shape
What makes a lower face look broader or more square?
Sometimes it is the muscle. Sometimes it isn't.
A strong or square jawline can come from several anatomical features. The masseter is important, but it is only one part of the lower face.
01
Muscle
Masseter prominence
The masseter sits over the jaw angle. When prominent, it adds visible width to the sides of the lower face and may become more obvious when clenching.
02
Skeletal Shape
Jaw-bone structure
The width and angle of the mandible have a major influence on facial shape, independent of how prominent the masseter is.
03
Soft Tissue
Facial soft tissue
Skin, subcutaneous tissue and overall facial proportions also affect how broad or angular the lower face appears.
An Important Part Of Assessment
What changes when you clench?
Observing the lower face at rest and during jaw contraction helps identify how much of the visible contour is related to muscle.
01
At Rest
Observe the natural lower-face contour
02
During Clench
Observe masseter contraction and prominence
03
Compare
Consider muscle within the whole facial shape
Muscle + Bone + Soft Tissue
Lower-face width is an anatomical pattern, not a single measurement.
Understanding which structures are contributing to facial shape is part of making an appropriate assessment of the jaw and masseter muscles.
Jaw Function Assessment
Looking beyond the teeth alone.
A Broader Assessment
We need to assess the chewing muscles too.
Grinding and clenching can involve the teeth, jaw muscles and jaw joints together.
Rather than looking only for worn teeth, we consider how the different parts of your jaw system are functioning and whether the clinical findings match the symptoms you are experiencing.
01
TeethWear & damage
02
BiteHow the teeth meet
03
Jaw MusclesTension & function
04
Jaw JointsMovement & function
05
HabitsClenching & grinding
06
SymptomsYour individual pattern
Is This The Right Assessment?
Our focus is dental and jaw function.
Clenching or grinding
Jaw tightness or muscle fatigue
Tooth wear or repeated damage
Jaw clicking or altered movement
Symptoms associated with jaw use
This service is focused on problems involving the teeth, bite, jaw muscles and jaw joints. Treatment might include dental splints, physiotherapy or cosmetic medicine approaches.
JAW GRINDING & CLENCHING FAQs
Questions about jaw grinding?
Bruxism and clenching present differently in every patient. These are some of the questions we are commonly asked at assessment.
Book a Consultation →What is jaw grinding?
Jaw grinding — or bruxism — is repetitive jaw-muscle activity involving grinding, clenching or bracing of the teeth. It can occur during sleep (sleep bruxism) or while awake (awake bruxism), and ranges from mild to significant.
What is the difference between grinding and clenching?
Grinding involves the teeth moving against each other, which can cause visible wear on the biting surfaces. Clenching involves holding the teeth tightly together without movement.
Many people do both. Both can place significant load on the teeth, jaw joints and surrounding muscles.
How do I know if I grind my teeth?
Grinding often happens during sleep, so many people are unaware of it until a dentist identifies wear patterns on the teeth. Common signs include:
- Flattened, chipped or worn tooth surfaces.
- Jaw stiffness or discomfort on waking.
- Headaches, particularly in the morning.
- Facial muscle tenderness or jaw fatigue.
- A partner reporting grinding sounds during sleep.
Your dentist can assess the teeth and jaw to identify signs consistent with grinding or clenching.
What damage can jaw grinding cause?
Over time, grinding and clenching can cause tooth wear, chipping or fracture, sensitivity, and damage to existing dental work such as fillings and crowns.
It can also contribute to jaw joint discomfort, muscle pain and headaches. The degree of damage varies with the intensity and duration of the habit.
Can grinding cause jaw pain or headaches?
Yes. Sustained muscle activity from grinding and clenching can cause jaw muscle fatigue, facial pain, jaw joint discomfort and headaches — particularly on waking. Some patients also notice neck and shoulder tension associated with their jaw habits.
What are the treatment options for jaw grinding?
Management depends on individual assessment findings and what you are able to tolerate. Options at iDental include a custom occlusal splint for nighttime protection, physiotherapy referral for targeted muscle work on the jaw, neck and shoulders, and other options discussed during your consultation.
Not every patient requires the same approach, and some patients benefit from a combination of options.
Will a splint stop me grinding?
A splint does not prevent grinding activity, but it protects the teeth from wear and can position the jaw joint more comfortably during sleep.
It is most effective for patients who grind primarily at night. For patients who clench during the day, or who find wearing a plate difficult, we discuss other options during consultation.
Is jaw grinding treatment covered by health insurance?
Some private health insurance policies include benefits for occlusal splints under major dental or orthodontic cover. Coverage varies between funds and individual policies.
We recommend checking directly with your health fund before starting treatment. We can provide an itemised estimate to assist with your enquiry.
Jaw Grinding & TMJ Assessment
Is your jaw working harder than it should?
Start with a detailed look at your teeth, bite, jaw joints and muscle function.
Clenching, grinding, jaw tightness and changes in lower-face muscle prominence can form part of the same clinical picture. An assessment helps us understand your individual pattern before discussing management.
01
Assess
Teeth & bite
02
Examine
Joints & muscles
03
Understand
Your pattern
Assessment and management recommendations are based on your individual clinical findings.
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