Teeth Grinding

You wake up in the morning and your jaw feels like it's been cemented shut. Your teeth feel dull, your temples throb, sometimes the pain radiates into your neck. You've been grinding, clenching, gnashing all night — without noticing. Your dentist sees the traces: worn enamel, cracks, impressions on the inner surface of your cheeks. He calls it bruxism, prescribes a night guard, and advises you to reduce stress.

But the guard only protects the surface. It prevents the teeth from wearing down further — but it doesn't answer the question underneath: Why does your jaw work at night with a force that finds no expression during the day? What are you clenching together that actually needs to come out?

Teeth grinding is not a habit — it's a nocturnal uprising. The language of your body when your waking consciousness no longer listens.