How to stop grinding your teeth, and how hypnotherapy can help

Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, often happens while you sleep, so you may not know you do it until a partner hears it, you wake with an aching jaw, or your dentist spots the wear. Many people also clench during the day, at a desk, in traffic or while concentrating, without realising.

Please see your dentist first. They can check for damage and, if you need one, fit a mouth guard or splint to protect your teeth at night. What a mouth guard doesn’t do is deal with why you clench, and that’s where hypnotherapy can help alongside your dental care.

The NHS says stress and anxiety are the most common cause of teeth grinding. It also links grinding to sleep problems such as snoring and sleep apnoea, to some medicines for sleep, depression or anxiety, to smoking, and to drinking a lot of alcohol or caffeine (NHS, 2026).

Signs you grind or clench your teeth

You wake with a sore or tight jaw, a headache or earache
A partner has heard you grinding at night
Your teeth feel sensitive, or look worn or chipped
You catch yourself clenching during the day, especially when you’re stressed or concentrating
You chew pens, gum or your nails to get rid of tension
It’s worse after a stressful day, a late coffee or a few drinks

Why it’s hard to stop

Night-time grinding happens while you’re asleep, so you can’t simply decide not to do it. It tends to rise and fall with how wound up you are. If your body goes to bed tense, your jaw can carry that tension into the night, and a stressful week often shows up as a sore jaw in the morning.

Daytime clenching is a habit in the truest sense. Your jaw muscles tighten automatically under pressure, and because it’s silent and invisible, nobody notices, including you. Over months and years that automatic response becomes your normal resting position. That’s why the first step is simply learning to catch it.

How hypnotherapy can help with teeth grinding

Hypnotherapy doesn’t replace your dentist or a mouth guard. Where it can help is with the stress behind the grinding and with noticing daytime clenching. In a relaxed, focused state we practise letting the jaw rest, lips together and teeth apart, and link that to the moments you usually clench, so catching it starts to happen without so much effort.

We also work on winding down before bed. You get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to at night as part of your bedtime routine. You’ll still need to keep up the daytime checks, and wear a guard if your dentist recommends one, and I can’t say whether the night-time grinding will stop. What hypnotherapy can do is help you go to sleep less tense and make relaxing your jaw feel more natural.

How to stop grinding your teeth: things you can try today

Lips together, teeth apart. Pick a cue you meet often, such as picking up your phone, and use it to check your jaw. If your teeth are touching, let them part and let your jaw drop slightly.
Build a calming bedtime routine. The NHS suggests relaxation such as breathing exercises, music and regular exercise, and going to bed in the same calm way each night.
Cut back on caffeine, alcohol and smoking. The NHS lists all three as things linked to grinding. Start with anything you have late in the day.
Give your jaw a rest. Avoid chewing gum and hard foods while your teeth or jaw hurt.
Ease the pain. For a sore jaw, the NHS suggests a cold pack for 20 to 30 minutes, or over-the-counter painkillers.
Keep up regular dental check-ups. Your dentist can spot wear early and make sure your mouth guard still fits.

See your dentist first, then your GP if you need to

Your dentist. See them if your teeth are damaged or sensitive, your jaw, face or ear hurts, or someone has noticed you grinding at night. They can fit a mouth guard or splint. You can find an NHS dentist in England.
Your GP. The NHS suggests seeing your GP for help with causes such as stress, anxiety, smoking, drinking or drug use, and talk about sleep problems such as snoring or sleep apnoea.
Your medicines. If you take medicine for sleep, depression or anxiety, don’t stop or change it on your own. Ask your GP or pharmacist whether it could be playing a part.
Stress and anxiety. In England you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for free.

If caffeine, drink or cigarettes are part of the picture, my pages on cutting down on caffeine, cutting down on drinking and stopping smoking may help too.

Common questions

Can hypnotherapy stop teeth grinding?

There’s no way to know in advance whether it will stop completely. What hypnotherapy can do is help with the stress that often sits behind grinding and help you notice and relax daytime clenching. It works alongside your dentist, not instead of them.

Do I still need a mouth guard?

If your dentist recommends one, yes. A mouth guard protects your teeth from damage at night. Hypnotherapy works on the tension and the habit, so the two do different jobs.

How do I stop clenching my jaw during the day?

Start by catching it. Use a regular cue, like picking up your phone, to check if your teeth are touching, and let them part. The more often you check, the sooner you notice clenching on your own.

How many sessions will I need?

One 90 minute session can cover relaxation and catching daytime clenching. If grinding is tied up with ongoing stress or anxiety, three sessions give us more room to work on that. We can decide together on a consultation call.

How do sessions work?

We meet one to one over Zoom, so you can do it from home. We focus on the stresses and moments when your jaw tightens, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards, including at bedtime.

Ready to start?

Once you’ve seen your dentist, book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through what’s behind your clenching and what would help, or take the free check first.

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