Nerve Pain From Grinding Your Teeth? Here's What to Do

When you have nerve pain from grinding and clenching, sleeping through the night becomes a challenge. Left untreated, teeth grinding, officially called bruxism, causes significant dental health issues that lead to nerve pain. 

How do you know if your tooth discomfort is related to grinding, and what can you do if it is? Read on for the answers!

What Nerve Pain From Grinding Feels Like

There’s a general toothache pain, and then there’s nerve pain from a problematic tooth. Though they may sound the same, the two are very much different. 

(For context, think: The pain of bumping your shin on the edge of the couch versus walking into a trailer hitch at full speed.)

Many toothaches stem from simple tooth decay, easily fixed with a trip to the dentist for a filling to cover the cavity. This type of tooth pain hits occasionally, usually when something directly impacts the surface of the decaying tooth. 

Then there’s sinus-related tooth pain. This problem is typically characterized by pain in the upper teeth, particularly near the molars. Although the pain feels like it’s in your tooth, it’s actually caused by the sinuses. You can differentiate between toothaches and sinus issues because the latter discomfort usually worsens when you lie down, when blood flow to the head increases. 

But grinding-related nerve pain is a different type of pain altogether.

Grinding nerve pain happens when long-term grinding — combined with daily wear and tear, acid and bacteria in the mouth, and other factors — causes an irritated or exposed nerve in the tooth. 

Hot and cold temperatures usually trigger pain from grinding-related nerve irritation. Still, it can also stem from simple acts like brushing and flossing your teeth or opening your mouth incorrectly.

Symptoms That Come With Nerve-Related Tooth Pain

How can you tell if your toothache is stemming from the nerve? This type of pain is frequently accompanied by symptoms such as:

• Tingling and burning in the jaw muscles, and limited jaw movement
• Increased sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet foods and drinks
• Stiff, sore jaw
• Headaches and migraines
• Pain that radiates to the ears, neck, and temples
• Jaw spasms and twitching in the facial muscles
• Ringing in the ears and earaches

Nerve-related tooth pain may feel like a sharp, shooting sensation, or a dull, throbbing ache, and can be mild and intermittent or constant and disruptive. 

Immediate Options for Nerve Pain Relief From Grinding

Nerve pain can be severe enough to significantly interfere with your daily activities and sleep. Dealing with the cause is essential for long-term healing. But, when you can’t think through the pain — and you want it gone now — try these at-home tips: 

• Cold compress: Using an ice pack or a general cold compress causes the blood vessels to constrict, which reduces inflammation and numbs the nerve endings to ease sharp tooth pain.
• Warm salt-water rinse: When it’s warm, saline draws out excess fluid in your gums, reducing irritation and decreasing pressure pushing on the irritated tooth nerves.
• OTC medication: Ibuprofen or acetaminophen, available over-the-counter, is designed to reduce pain signals and inflammation.
• Hydrogen peroxide rinse: An at-home hydrogen-peroxide mixture is safe for rinsing (like mouthwash). A 15-second swish reduces bacteria and plaque, lessening inflammatory byproducts that irritate exposed tooth nerves.
• Peppermint tea bags: Steep a peppermint teabag and let it cool before applying it to the irritated area. Peppermint provides a mild numbing and anti-inflammatory effect, soothing sore gums and nerves.
• Clove oil: The active ingredient in clove oil, eugenol, is a natural anesthetic, temporarily numbing nerves and decreasing inflammation around the tooth.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla contains the ingredient alcohol, which numbs the nerve. Vanilla’s antioxidant properties calm the gum tissues around the teeth.

While these are short-term solutions, they can relieve your pain long enough that you can think through the next step — how to get to the “root” of your pain for good!

Long-Term Grinding Solutions

The thing most people don’t understand about sleep bruxism is that it is a comorbidity. It’s not the primary diagnosis; there’s something else causing you to grind. Until you solve the reason why you’re grinding, you’ll keep doing it. 

For most people, stress is the main reason for sleep bruxism. But there are many other possible causes, including (but not limited to):

• Sleep disturbances and micro‑arousals, such as those that occur with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
• Genetics
• Use of certain medications, such as SSRIs (Managing the Side Effects of SSRI Teeth Grinding)
• Using stimulants or substances with caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or recreational drugs
• Malocclusion (bad bite) or jaw alignment issues
• Certain medical or psychological conditions, including depression, anxiety, and GERD

All of these underlying causes require their own care plan to resolve them. 

However, while you’re working on the long-term plan, incorporating stress management techniques into your day can have immediate effects. Simple changes (like spending time in nature, exercising, journaling, or meditating) lower central nervous system arousal levels, decrease jaw muscle tension, and improve sleep quality, minimizing sleep micro-arousals that trigger grinding episodes.

At the same time, add a night guard to your sleep routine. Custom-made night guards from professionals (like us at JS Dental Lab) prevent the upper and lower teeth from touching. So even if you try to grind, your muscles can’t gain traction. The protective barrier reduces enamel damage and minimizes further irritation to your nerves.

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If those two steps don’t help, consider talking to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking muscle relaxants to give your jaw muscles — and, therefore, the rest of your body — a much-needed break from grinding.

When to Head to the Professionals for Your Nerve Pain

Stress reduction, night guards, muscle relaxants, and OTC fixes aren’t working. 

Is it time to see a professional for your tooth pain?

To help you choose whether to stay home or go, many dentists suggest following the 3-3-3 rule for toothaches. This is a temporary pain management method that helps you decide whether your toothache is minor and treatable at home, or needs professional involvement:

Take 3 ibuprofen tablets (200mg each), 3 times a day, for no more than 3 days. 

This controls inflammation and minimizes pain. If you’ve followed the 3-3-3 rule and the pain persists, there may be a more serious underlying issue, such as an infection. Let your dentist decide the next steps. 

Dentistry and Medical Treatment Options

What kind of treatment plan should you expect when you go to the dentist or doctor? That will depend on the reason for the nerve pain. 

For instance, severe jaw pain and nerve damage necessitate different care than pain caused by tooth decay. 

Let’s look at a few common causes of nerve pain that aren’t easily fixed with a night guard and palliative care, and how these issues are typically treated:

• Temporomandibular joint pain (called TMJ disorders) is diagnosed by a specialist. The jaw joint is delicate and responsible for all your mouth’s movements. The treatment plan may include TMJ splints, physical therapy, and other solutions. 
• Infected teeth may need a root canal and antibiotics, or, in severe cases, a tooth extraction.
• Gum disease in its early stage, gingivitis, could benefit from boosted dental hygiene. However, advanced gum disease, known as periodontitis, may require a scaling and root planing procedure and ongoing care to prevent it from continuing to advance.
• Trigeminal neuralgia, a less common culprit of nerve damage, causes pain that stems from the trigeminal nerve, which connects to the face and supplies feelings to the teeth, gums, jaw, and face. When it’s triggered, trigeminal nerve pain is often mistaken for toothaches, but it requires specialized treatment.

When you’re on the fence about the reason behind your tooth pain — but you know the nerve is involved — there could be many things causing your symptoms. It’s okay to try immediate relief options and at-home care, but certain signs indicate the need for urgent care.

Signs You Need to Seek Urgent Care

Dentists don’t always have immediate openings, but there’s probably an urgent care clinic near you. If you notice any of these warning signs, visit your urgent care center: 

• Pain is severe or persistent.
• Fever, swelling, or other signs of infection are apparent.
• You are having trouble breathing or swallowing.
• You’ve experienced trauma to the face.
• The tooth is loose or has fallen out.

These situations are considered dental emergencies and need professional treatment fast. Otherwise, your dentist or healthcare provider can help you decide if a specialist is necessary.

Conclusion

In most cases, your dentist can determine just how far the damage from grinding your teeth has progressed in the tooth enamel. They may take X-rays to ensure the damaged tooth isn’t severely cracked or broken, and that there’s no infection that needs to be addressed first.

There’s a good chance your dentist will recommend wearing a night guard as part of your treatment plan. At JS Dental Lab, our custom-made oral appliances are made from professional, high-quality materials, and are delivered to your door at a fraction of the cost of your dentist’s. 

Here’s how it works!