What can you do about Awake Bruxism?

This is an unconscious condition that will break down your teeth and cause headaches and facial pain. It is time to take control.

Q: I’ve caught myself clenching my teeth during the day, especially when I’m stressed or focused. Is this something I should be concerned about, and what can I do to stop it?

Why You Might Be Clenching Without Realizing It

You’re not alone. Many people tense their jaws or grind their teeth during the day, often without noticing until pain, fatigue, or even a cracked molar makes it impossible to ignore. Known as awake bruxism, this condition is distinct from nighttime teeth grinding in a few key ways, and while it might seem minor, it can lead to real discomfort and damage if left unchecked.

Some common wisdom suggests stress is the sole culprit, but that’s only part of the story. Understanding awake bruxism, why it happens, and what you can do about it is the first step toward relief.

What Is Awake Bruxism?

Awake bruxism refers to the habitual clenching, grinding, or bracing of the jaw during waking hours. Unlike sleep bruxism, which occurs involuntarily during sleep, awake bruxism tends to be more conscious — or at least easier to catch in the moment.

Clinically, it’s categorized as a "parafunctional behavior," meaning it serves no functional purpose like chewing or speaking. People with awake bruxism may:

• Clench their teeth together when concentrating
• Hold tension in the jaw without noticing
• Clench or grind their teeth lightly during stress or irritation

This behavior often becomes ingrained and automatic, and it’s frequently tied to emotional states or posture rather than dental problems alone.

Why Do We Clench Our Teeth During the Day?

A growing body of research links awake bruxism to psychosocial factors rather than structural dental issues. A 2013 review in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation identified stress, anxiety, and hypervigilance as common contributors. More recent research published in Frontiers in Neurology notes that "psychological and social factors appear to be critical in the transition from clenching to a painful disorder" (Manfredini et al., 2020).

Dr. Simón Pardiñas López, an oral surgeon quoted in Vogue, explains:

"Daytime Clenching occurs during waking hours and is usually more directly related to stress, anxiety, intense concentration, or certain postural habits." (Vogue UK)

In other words, your jaw might be carrying the weight of your inbox.

Other contributing factors include:

• Poor ergonomic setup (think laptop hunching)
• Habitual body tension or posture issues
• Medication side effects (such as SSRIs)
• An overdeveloped sense of concentration or focus

How Do I Know If I Have Awake Bruxism?

Awake bruxism rarely presents as loud grinding, so it often flies under the radar. But your body may be leaving clues:

• Tension headaches, particularly in the temples
• Jaw fatigue or soreness by midday
• Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint (TMJ)
• Tooth sensitivity or subtle wear patterns on enamel
• Tightness in neck and shoulders

It’s often a friend, coworker, or dentist who first notices — or you may suddenly realize you're holding your jaw stiffly as you scroll your phone or respond to email.

If you suspect awake bruxism, try checking in with your jaw during stressful or focused moments. Are your teeth touching? They shouldn't be. The healthy rest posture is "lips together, teeth apart."

What Happens If You Don’t Address It?

While awake bruxism doesn’t usually cause the kind of loud grinding damage seen with sleep bruxism, its effects can still be significant over time. Prolonged tension can lead to:

• Chronic headaches or facial pain
• Worn enamel or increased dental sensitivity
• Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD)
• Neck strain or poor posture alignment

Dr. Priya Mistry, a dentist specializing in TMD, shared in Time magazine:

"Many individuals are unaware of their jaw-clenching habits, often exacerbated by stress. Emotions such as stress, anger, and anxiety significantly contribute to jaw clenching... it can cause severe oral health issues including worn teeth, microfractures, receding gums, and chronic pain." (Time)

What Can You Do to Manage Awake Bruxism?

The good news? Because awake bruxism happens while you're conscious, it's more responsive to habit change and behavioral strategies than its sleep counterpart.

Some proven techniques include:

• Awareness training: Catching the moment you clench is half the battle. Start by doing regular body scans or setting hourly reminders.
• Posture correction: Keep screens at eye level, sit back in your chair, and keep your shoulders relaxed.
• Stress reduction: Practices like deep breathing, yoga, and short breaks throughout the day reduce muscle tension.
• Physical therapy or massage: Focused work on the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles can relieve underlying tightness.

Can Tools Like Biofeedback Help?

Yes, and they're becoming increasingly accessible. Biofeedback tools are designed to detect clenching behavior and gently alert you in real time, helping you learn to release tension more quickly.

One example isClenchAlert, a discreet biofeedback dental device designed to detect when you're clenching your teeth and respond with a gentle vibration. This immediate tactile feedback interrupts the clenching behavior, prompting you to relax your jaw before tension builds. The core principle behind ClenchAlert is to support the natural resting posture of the jaw: "lips together, teeth apart."

ClenchAlert is composed of two occlusal guards: one passive and one active. The passive guard, made from a clear ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, serves as a traditional mouth guard that protects the teeth. The active guard, which is white, houses a small embedded sensor and vibration mechanism. When worn, the active guard detects sustained pressure from clenching and delivers a subtle vibration to alert the user.

The device is typically worn during the day, especially during high-concentration activities like computer work, driving, or managing stressful tasks. By consistently alerting the user when clenching occurs, ClenchAlert helps cultivate awareness and reinforce a more relaxed bite pattern over time. Many users find that with repeated exposure, they anticipate the vibration and preemptively relax their jaw, leading to long-term habit change. For best results, ClenchAlert should be used as part of a broader management strategy that includes posture correction, stress reduction, and regular check-ins on jaw position throughout the day.

It's not a cure, but rather anawareness amplifier. Over time, many users develop a reflexive response: as soon as they feel the jaw engage, they release it.

The Bottom Line

Awake bruxism is more than just a quirky habit — it’s a real, often overlooked source of tension and discomfort. Fortunately, it's also a condition that's highly responsive to behavior change.

If you suspect you're clenching your jaw during the day, start by tuning in. Check your posture, notice your breathing, and see if your teeth are touching. Begin developing the habit of keeping your lips together, teeth apart.

With time, awareness, and the right support tools — whether mindfulness practices, posture corrections, or gentle biofeedback devices like ClenchAlert — you can retrain your nervous system to respond to stress without grinding it out through your jaw.