The Difference between Clenching and Grinding

Grinding includes clenching, but clenching doesn’t necessarily include grinding. When you clench, you use your jaw muscles to press your teeth together. If you also slide your teeth laterally (either forward and back, or side to side, or both) while clenching, then you are grinding. Grinding can (and often does) wear down the teeth of the person who is grinding. The harder you clench while you grind, and the more lateral motion you have in your grinding, the faster you wear down your teeth.

Leave a Reply