The grinding can be so chronic that their teeth can be ground down to stumps. The enamel will be ground off and the teeth will no longer be white, but yellow. With the enamel gone, germs and bacteria will be able to get into the teeth and they will start to decay leading to fillings, crowns and root canals. When a person grinds down their front teeth the upper and lower jaw get closer together which gives a haggard appearance to the face when the mouth is closed. The muscles on the side of the face will get enlarged due to all the clenching and tension, this creates the look of larger then normal jowls.
Constant headaches are a very common problem with people who brux.
One of the possible causes of bruxism is thought to be sensitivity to heat or cold in some people. Other people have teeth that are out of alignment and need adjusting. TMJ or temporalmandibular joint pain can cause tooth grinding. Other causes can be a bad car accident resulting in whiplash, tumors in the skull, orthodontic treatment, arthritis, and even violin playing. But most often it is a vitamin deficiency that is causing bruxism.