Q I'm in my 30s working in Dongincheon and under heavy stress. Does grinding my teeth in my sleep also affect the jaw joint?
A Yes, teeth grinding (bruxism) is a key cause of jaw joint overload. When grinding repeats during sleep, damage gradually builds up in the joint disc and chewing muscles.
Detailed Answer
Teeth grinding occurs when the jaw muscles (masseter) contract excessively during sleep. This force pushes the disc inside the joint forward, creating clicking sounds (joint noise) and limited mouth opening, and over time it can even wear down the joint surface.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we see teeth grinding not merely as a jaw problem but as a "signal of stress-driven rising heat and tension gathering in the jaw during sleep." So rather than treating the jaw alone, we take an approach that brings down the rising heat (cheongsang) and releases the stiff neck and shoulders to regulate the body's overall tension and circulation together. When sleep quality stabilizes, the grinding itself often decreases.
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