Stress and Teeth Grinding: What the Data Says About the Post-Pandemic Spike

In the spring of 2020, dentists across the country started noticing something odd: patients with no history of dental problems were showing up with cracked molars, chipped incisors, and jaws so sore they could barely chew. Five years later, that trend hasn't reversed it's arguably gotten worse. This article walks through what the survey data and research actually show about the link between stress and teeth grinding, and why the "pandemic spike" turned into something closer to a permanent shift.

The Numbers: How Big Was the Spike?

The clearest data trail comes from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute (HPI), which began tracking stress-related dental conditions early in the pandemic. In September 2020, 59.4% of surveyed dentists reported an increased prevalence of bruxism among their patients. By March 2021, that number had climbed past 70%. The HPI's detailed breakdown from that survey found:

• 71% of dentists reported an increase in teeth grinding and clenching
• 63% reported an increase in chipped teeth
• 63% reported an increase in cracked teeth
• 62% reported an increase in TMD symptoms, including headaches and jaw pain

The ADA's chief economist at the time, Marko Vujicic, described the organization's polling as a "barometer for pandemic stress affecting patients and communities seen through the eyes of dentists" and the trajectory from 59% to 71% in about six months suggested stress-related dental conditions were still accelerating, not leveling off.

It Didn't Stop When Lockdowns Ended

Here's the part that surprises people: this isn't just a 2020–2021 story. A Massachusetts Dental Society survey of about 140 dentists conducted in June and July of 2025 found that more than 75% had seen an increase in stress-related teeth grinding or clenching among patients a higher share than the ADA's original 2021 figure. Nearly 65% reported more patients with chipped or cracked teeth, and about 60% said patients themselves attributed their grinding to stress when asked directly.

The society's president, a prosthodontist who has tracked the trend in his own practice since COVID-19 began, put it bluntly: the pattern "hasn't really slowed down at all" and, if anything, seems to be getting worse. Other dentists interviewed alongside that survey pointed to a broader mix of ongoing stressors beyond the pandemic itself work pressure, financial strain, and general "baseline stress" that many patients describe as simply not having gone away.

Taken together, the data suggests something more durable than a temporary pandemic-era blip: a sustained, multi-year elevation in stress-related grinding that shows no clear sign of returning to pre-2020 levels.

What the Research Says About Why Stress Causes Grinding

The connection between stress and bruxism isn't just something dentists have noticed anecdotally, it's well established in the research. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) lists psychosocial factors stress, mood, distress, and nervousness among the primary contributors to bruxism, alongside genetics, caffeine and alcohol use, smoking, and certain medications.

The proposed mechanism generally centers on how the body responds to sustained psychological pressure: masticatory muscles are a common outlet for somatic tension, and elevated stress hormones and heightened muscle activity during sleep and waking hours both appear to play a role. This is consistent with what dentists observed in real time during the pandemic patients under sudden, sustained stress developing grinding patterns even when they had no prior history of bruxism.

An Interesting Wrinkle: Awake and Sleep Bruxism Moved in Opposite Directions

One of the more carefully controlled looks at this question comes from a study of first-year dentistry students at Complutense University of Madrid, which compared bruxism rates across three groups: pre-pandemic (2018/19), pandemic/lockdown (2020/21), and post-pandemic (2021/22). The pattern it found was more nuanced than a simple across-the-board increase.

Sleep bruxism was substantially higher in the pandemic group (47.2%) compared to both the pre-pandemic group (18.4%) and the post-pandemic group (30.7%) a clear, statistically significant spike during the lockdown period specifically.

Awake bruxism, by contrast, was actually lower during the pandemic (16.5%) than in either the pre-pandemic (39.1%) or post-pandemic (37.4%) groups. The researchers' interpretation was that the passive, isolating stress of lockdown with its associated feelings of helplessness and higher depression scores may have driven more nighttime grinding, while the more active, socially-driven stress of daily in-person life (before and after lockdown) drove more daytime clenching.

The practical takeaway: "stress and bruxism are linked" is true, but which type of bruxism shows up may depend on what kind of stress a person is under and how they're able to respond to it day-to-day.

The Data at a Glance

Is This Really a "Pandemic" Problem, or Just Modern Stress?

The 2025 Massachusetts data complicates the tidy "pandemic bruxism spike" narrative. If grinding rates were purely a lockdown-era phenomenon, they should have eased once restrictions lifted and daily life normalized. Instead, dentists are reporting rates that meet or exceed the original 2021 numbers, years after the pandemic's acute phase ended.

The more accurate framing may be that COVID-19 acted as an initial trigger that revealed and then didn't fully resolve a broader pattern of chronic stress. Work demands, financial pressure, and other ongoing life stressors appear to be sustaining elevated grinding rates well past the circumstances that first caused the spike. In other words: the label "post-pandemic spike" undersells it. This looks more like a new, elevated baseline.

What This Means for Your Teeth

Whatever the underlying stressor, the dental consequences are the same regardless of cause. Persistent grinding and clenching can lead to:

• Flattened, chipped, or cracked teeth
• Increased tooth sensitivity
• Sore or tired jaw muscles, especially in the morning
• Headaches and facial pain
• TMD symptoms, including jaw stiffness and clicking

If any of this sounds familiar and you haven't mentioned it to your dentist yet, it's worth bringing up the earlier bruxism-related wear is caught, the simpler and less expensive it typically is to manage.

Managing Stress-Related Grinding

Because stress is such a consistently identified driver, addressing bruxism effectively usually means addressing both the habit and its root cause. Mayo Clinic's guidance for bruxism self-care includes several approaches directly aimed at the stress component:

• Relaxation practices meditation, yoga, or exercise to lower general stress levels
• Reducing evening stimulants cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, particularly later in the day
• Behavior awareness noticing and consciously relaxing jaw position during the day, especially during stressful moments
• Professional support a mental health professional can help address the underlying stress or anxiety driving the habit, alongside dental treatment

On the dental side, a custom night guard remains the standard first-line protection against the physical damage grinding causes, since it doesn't require the underlying stress to resolve first in order to protect your teeth in the meantime.

What You Can Do Now

• A real, tracked ADA survey found over 70% of dentists reported increased grinding and clenching during the pandemic, tied to stress
• Stress and jaw clenching are mechanistically connected, particularly for daytime clenching
• If your grinding began or worsened during a stressful period, that timing is a useful clue to share with your dentist
• A night guard protects your teeth regardless of cause; addressing the underlying stress is what reduces the grinding itself

Frequently Asked Questions

How much has teeth grinding actually increased since the pandemic started?

ADA survey data showed the share of dentists reporting increased grinding rose from about 59% in September 2020 to 71% by March 2021. A 2025 survey in Massachusetts found over 75% of dentists still reporting increases, suggesting the elevated trend has persisted rather than reversed.

Is the increase in teeth grinding actually caused by stress?

Research consistently identifies stress, anxiety, and mood as major contributors to bruxism, and the timing of the increase closely tracking pandemic-era stress and continuing alongside ongoing work and financial pressures supports a stress-related explanation, though bruxism is generally considered multifactorial rather than caused by any single trigger.

Why hasn't teeth grinding gone back to pre-pandemic levels?

Dentists surveyed in 2025 pointed to sustained, ongoing stressors, work, finances, and general daily pressure that didn't disappear when pandemic restrictions were lifted. The data suggests the pandemic may have triggered a shift to a new, higher baseline rather than a temporary spike.

Is sleep bruxism or awake bruxism more affected by stress?

Both are linked to stress, but research suggests they may respond to different types of stress. One study found sleep bruxism spiked specifically during pandemic lockdown, while awake bruxism actually dipped during that period and rebounded afterward suggesting passive, isolating stress and active, socially-driven stress may affect each type differently.

Can reducing stress alone stop teeth grinding?

For many people, stress management meaningfully reduces grinding, but it isn't a guaranteed fix on its own, since bruxism can have other contributing factors like genetics, sleep disorders, caffeine and alcohol use, or certain medications. A night guard is generally recommended alongside stress reduction, not instead of it.

Should I see a dentist if I think stress is causing me to grind my teeth?

Yes. A dentist can assess actual wear on your teeth, rule out other causes of jaw pain, and recommend a night guard or other protective measures while you work on the underlying stress, rather than waiting for stress levels to improve on their own.

Are certain age groups more affected by the recent increase in bruxism?

Survey and clinical reports have noted increases across a broad range of adults, though reporting hasn't consistently isolated one age group as uniquely affected; bruxism in general has historically been most common during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

Did children's bruxism increase during the pandemic too?

Some research has specifically examined pediatric bruxism during the pandemic and found increases linked to changes in routine, screen time, and stress in children's daily lives, similar in principle to the adult pattern, though the specific drivers can differ.

What's the difference between occasional stress grinding and clinical bruxism?

Occasional grinding during a stressful week or a single bad night's sleep is common and not necessarily a concern. Bruxism becomes clinically relevant when it's frequent enough to cause visible wear, pain, or other symptoms something a dentist can assess during a routine exam.

Can workplace stress specifically cause teeth grinding?

Dentists in recent surveys have specifically cited work-related stress as a factor patients report, alongside financial and other daily pressures, consistent with the broader research linking psychosocial stress to bruxism.

Is there a way to know if my grinding is stress-related versus caused by something else, like sleep apnea?

Not definitively without an evaluation. A dentist or sleep specialist can help sort out whether grinding is primarily stress-driven, related to a sleep disorder, or influenced by another factor like medication, since these often require different approaches to manage effectively.

**WAKEBRIGHT | **Whatever's driving your stress-related grinding, the Wakebright Guard protects your teeth in the meantime while you and your dentist work on the underlying cause.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a licensed dentist or healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment recommendations specific to your situation.

References

1. American Dental Association. "New survey finds stress-related dental conditions continue to increase." ada.org. https://www.ada.org/about/press-releases/2021-archives/new-survey-finds-stress-related-dental-conditions-continue-to-increase
2. American Dental Association. "HPI poll: Dentists see increased prevalence of stress-related oral health conditions." adanews.ada.org. https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2021/march/hpi-poll-dentists-see-increased-prevalence-of-stress-related-oral-health-conditions
3. Boston Globe. "Dentists in Mass. report increase in 'stress-related' teeth grinding among patients." bostonglobe.com. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/25/metro/teeth-grinding-from-stress-in-massachusetts/
4. GBH News. "Stress levels are leading to an increase in broken teeth, Mass. dentists report." wgbh.org. https://www.wgbh.org/news/health/2025-07-23/stress-levels-are-leading-to-an-increase-in-broken-teeth-mass-dentists-report
5. Osses-Anguita, Á.E. et al. "Awake and Sleep Bruxism Prevalence and Their Associated Psychological Factors in First-Year University Students: A Pre-Mid-Post COVID-19 Pandemic Comparison." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/2452
6. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. "Bruxism." nidcr.nih.gov. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/bruxism
7. Mayo Clinic. "Teeth grinding (bruxism) – Diagnosis and treatment." mayoclinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bruxism/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356100