Grinding, clenching and crowns: choosing the right material and protecting it

If you grind or clench your teeth, there is a good chance it is part of why you are thinking about crowns in the first place. Worn, flattened or chipped teeth are one of the classic signs. The difficulty is that the habit that damaged your natural teeth does not stop once they are crowned. A crown is strong, but it is not immune to hours of force every night. This article covers what bruxism is, what the research says about grinding and crown failure, which materials tend to cope, and what a night guard can realistically do.

What bruxism is, in plain terms

Bruxism is the umbrella term for clenching or grinding the teeth, or bracing and pushing the lower jaw. An international group of experts has split it into two types: sleep bruxism, which happens during sleep, and awake bruxism, which shows up as sustained tooth contact or jaw bracing during the day (Lobbezoo et al., 2018). The same group concluded that in otherwise healthy people bruxism is better seen as a behaviour than a disease, and that it can be a risk factor for certain problems rather than a problem in itself.

The NHS lists stress and anxiety as the most common cause, along with sleep problems such as snoring and sleep apnoea, some medicines for sleep, depression or anxiety, smoking, and drinking a lot of alcohol or caffeine. Symptoms can include a painful jaw, worn or broken teeth, lost fillings, headaches, earache and disturbed sleep. Many people only find out because a partner hears it, or a dentist sees the wear.

Daytime clenching is easy to miss. If you catch yourself with your teeth together while driving, working at a screen or concentrating, that counts. The NHS advice for jaw pain makes the point that apart from when you eat, your teeth should be apart.

What grinding does to crowns

A critical review of bruxism and prosthetic treatment, meaning crowns, bridges, dentures and implants, concluded that bruxism may be counted among the risk factors and is associated with more mechanical and technical complications (Johansson, Omar and Carlsson, 2011). It did not seem to affect whether implants themselves survived. The same review noted something worth hearing before treatment: there is no known treatment that stops bruxism, including crowns or other dental work. Its advice to dentists was to reduce the effects of heavy biting forces on every part of the restoration, because failing to do so may lead to earlier failure than normal.

In practice, the problems grinders run into are:

• Chipping of the porcelain layer on layered crowns.
• Fracture of the whole crown, more likely with thinner or weaker ceramics.
• Loosening, as repeated sideways forces work at the cement.
• Wear of the opposing teeth, especially against rough ceramic.
• Sore teeth and jaw muscles, particularly if the bite is uneven. See our article on a bite that feels high after new crowns.

Material choice for grinders

This is where grinding changes the plan most. The broad options are compared on our crown types page, but for a grinder the questions narrow down.

Layered porcelain is the weak point

Many crowns have a strong core with a layer of decorative porcelain baked on top. That porcelain looks lovely but is the part most likely to chip. A large systematic review of single crowns found that zirconia crowns with a veneering porcelain layer were lost more often through fractures of that layer than metal-ceramic crowns (Sailer et al., 2015). For someone who grinds, porcelain on the biting surface is a vulnerability.

Solid zirconia

Monolithic (solid) zirconia crowns are milled from one block with no separate porcelain layer to chip off. That is why, for heavy grinders, we may recommend zirconia rather than E-max. Our zirconia crowns page explains the different types. Zirconias are described in the research literature as the strongest of the dental ceramics (Zhang and Lawn, 2018). Solid zirconia is not invincible, though, and its surface finish matters: a systematic review found that polished zirconia caused less wear on opposing natural teeth than glazed surfaces or feldspathic porcelain (Ghaffari et al., 2022).

E-max

Lithium disilicate (E-max) is a strong glass-ceramic with excellent looks, and it is a very good material in the right mouth. In a heavy grinder, the fact that it is not as strong as zirconia makes it a more cautious choice, especially on back teeth. The E-max crowns page covers where it shines.

Fewer crowns can be the better plan

If grinding has worn your teeth, it is worth asking whether every tooth needs a crown. Each crown is another restoration exposed to the same forces, and each will need replacing at some point. A good plan treats the teeth that need it and protects the rest.

Night guards: what they do and do not do

On the NHS page about grinding, the dental treatment described is a custom-fitted guard or splint for night-time, made for the upper or lower teeth, whose job is to shield the teeth from damage. That is the honest description: protection.

The research on whether splints actually treat sleep bruxism is weaker. A Cochrane review found there was not enough evidence to say an occlusal splint is effective for treating sleep bruxism, though it noted there may be some benefit for tooth wear (Macedo et al., 2007). A more recent systematic review comparing types of splint was more positive, reporting that some designs reduced bruxism episodes and symptoms and calling splint therapy a viable approach, while noting that effects vary and side effects need weighing for each person (Ainoosah et al., 2024).

So the sensible way to think of a night guard is as a replaceable layer. It takes the grinding instead of your crowns, and when it wears through you replace the guard, which is far cheaper and simpler than replacing ceramic.

Getting the most from a night guard

• Have it made to fit your new crowns, not your old teeth.
• Wear it every night, including on holiday. A guard in a drawer protects nothing.
• Clean it daily and keep it in its case, away from pets, who love chewing them.
• Take it along to your check-ups; the dentist can see how it is wearing and whether it still fits.
• If it causes jaw pain or your bite feels different in the morning, tell your dentist rather than giving up on it.

Dealing with the causes

Because bruxism is linked to stress, sleep and lifestyle, the NHS suggests finding ways to relax, improving sleep routines, not smoking, and cutting down on alcohol and caffeine. It also says a GP can help with stress, smoking or alcohol. If you snore heavily or your partner notices pauses in your breathing at night, mention it to your GP, as sleep apnoea is one of the listed causes and is worth checking for its own sake.

For jaw pain from clenching, NHS self-help advice for TMD includes soft food, painkillers if needed, ice or heat packs, massaging the jaw muscles, and not chewing gum or pen tops.

How grinding affects your guarantee

We would rather be clear about this before treatment. For heavy grinders we may recommend zirconia rather than E-max, and a night guard may be advised. Our crowns carry a 5-year written guarantee, and that guarantee may be reduced or void if you grind and do not wear the night guard we advised. Damage from contact sports or accidents is also excluded. That is not small print to catch you out. It reflects what the research says about grinding and crown complications. The full terms are on our guarantee page.

At Precious Dental, a Ministry of Health licensed clinic in Antalya, teeth are digitally scanned and the bite is checked at a try-in before crowns are fixed permanently. If you know or suspect you grind, tell us at the start; it changes the design of the bite and the material we suggest. Our aftercare and longevity page covers the rest of looking after crowns.

Grinding and wondering what that means for your plan?

Send us a description of your wear, any photos and your current X-rays through our contact page or on WhatsApp. We will tell you which materials we would consider for your bite and whether a night guard would be part of the plan.

Common questions

Can I have crowns if I grind my teeth?

Usually, yes. Grinding is a risk factor rather than a barrier. It affects the material, the bite set-up and aftercare, and a dentist should know about it before planning. For heavy grinders we may recommend zirconia rather than E-max, and a night guard may be advised.

How do I know if I grind at night?

Common clues are a partner hearing it, waking with a sore jaw or headache, worn, flat or chipped teeth, and broken fillings. Many people have no idea until a dentist points out the wear. Tell your dentist if any of these apply.

Does a night guard stop grinding?

No. A Cochrane review found too little evidence that splints treat sleep bruxism itself, though they may help with tooth wear. Think of a night guard as a protective layer that takes the wear instead of your crowns.

Will my guarantee cover a crown I broke grinding?

Our guarantee may be reduced or void if you grind and do not wear the night guard we advised. If you were advised a guard and wear it, tell us, and keep it in good condition. Full terms are on our guarantee page.

Is solid zirconia too hard on the opposing teeth?

Research on this mostly comes from lab studies. A systematic review found zirconia caused less wear on opposing teeth than feldspathic porcelain, and polished surfaces less than glazed ones. A well-polished surface and a bite that does not concentrate force on one point both matter. Ask your dentist how the surfaces will be finished and adjusted.

Sources

1. NHS. Teeth grinding (bruxism)
2. Lobbezoo F et al. (2018). International consensus on the assessment of bruxism: report of a work in progress. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation
3. Johansson A, Omar R, Carlsson GE (2011). Bruxism and prosthetic treatment: a critical review. Journal of Prosthodontic Research
4. Macedo CR et al. (2007). Occlusal splints for treating sleep bruxism (tooth grinding). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
5. Ainoosah S et al. (2024). Comparative analysis of different types of occlusal splints for the management of sleep bruxism: a systematic review. BMC Oral Health
6. Sailer I et al. (2015). All-ceramic or metal-ceramic tooth-supported fixed dental prostheses (FDPs)? Part I: Single crowns (SCs). Dental Materials
7. NHS. Temporomandibular disorder (TMD)
8. Zhang Y, Lawn BR (2018). Novel zirconia materials in dentistry. Journal of Dental Research
9. Ghaffari T et al. (2022). Natural teeth wear opposite to glazed and polished ceramic crowns: a systematic review. Dental Research Journal

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.