Symptoms:

Clenching the teeth puts pressure on the muscles, tissues, and other structures around your jaw. The symptoms can cause temporomandibular joint problems (TMJ).

Grinding can wear down your teeth. Grinding can be noisy enough at night to bother sleeping partners.

Symptoms include:

• Anxiety, stress, and tension
• Depression
• Earache (partly because the structures of the temporomandibular joint are very close to the ear canal, and partly because you can perceive pain in a different location than its source (referred pain))
• Eating disorders
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Sore or painful jaw

Signs and tests:

An examination can rule out other disorders that may cause similar jaw pain or ear pain, including:

• Dental disorders
• Ear disorders such as ear infections
• Problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

You may have a history of significant stress and tension.