Why Does My Dog Grind His Teeth While Sleeping?

Are you also worried about your dog grinding its teeth while sleeping? Having thoughts like, "Is my pup stressed? Catching a rodent or chasing something in a dream?" 

Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, is uncommon in dogs and caused by underlying medical problems such as dental issues, stress, or jaw misalignment. No specific number is indicated in veterinary studies regarding how many dogs grind their teeth when sleeping.

If your dog grinds its teeth while sleeping, it is due to discomfort or stress. Thus, consult a vet if this occurs frequently. Now, hang tight with us as we explore the factors that lead your dog to grind and pound its teeth.

Why Do Some Dogs Grind Their Teeth (Bruxism)?

There are several key factors why your dog is pounding teeth while sleeping. It is primarily caused by mouth, body, or stomach pain. For some dogs, this is a bad habit picked up from childhood or a way to get their owners' attention.

Whatever the reason for your dog, we’ll be elaborating on all the causes and symptoms so you can quickly & swiftly identify the core reason behind this attribute. 

1. Birth Defects

If a dog is born with a misaligned bite (jawline), meaning the top and lower teeth do not align properly, it might cause discomfort when chewing or relaxing.

Some dogs have miss-aligned canines, or one canine is subsequently shorter than the other. This leads to the problem of closing the mouth and chewing food. To eliminate the problem, the dog grinds its teeth to align them properly.

2. Oral Pain

Dogs pound their teeth when they feel pain and discomfort in their mouth. Dogs try to mask their pain as part of their instinct. But if the pain is severe, your pet can’t help but grind their teeth as a sign of discomfort.

Gum disease, rotting teeth, broken teeth, infected tongue or gum, and oral tumors cause oral pain. While a pup is teething, it can naturally grind and pound its jaw to align its teeth. Luckily, after the pup has grown teeth, this behavior will stop.

3. Malocclusion

Malocclusion occurs when the lower and upper jaws don’t align. It is a common problem in mammals that can occur due to breathing issues, injuries, or trauma. This can be overbite, underbite, or overly crowded. This misalignment may create bruxism when a dog grinds its teeth to relieve the strain or discomfort caused by an incorrect bite.

Grinding may occur in breeds prone to underbites, such as bulldogs and boxers, since their teeth do not naturally align. Overbites can produce similar discomfort.

4. Gastrointestinal Discomfort

Dogs grind their teeth to endure stomach aches or nausea. This might react to the irritating stress and discomfort they experience in the tummy. Just like humans, dogs clench their jaws in pain. In bloating and excess gas, dogs grind their teeth due to abdominal pressure and pain. 

Bloating could be painful to tolerate, so grinding may be an unconscious mechanism for dogs to release this extreme internal discomfort. Irritable bowel syndrome or an irritable bowel disorder can include chronic pain persisting with cramps, pain, and nausea. Such diseases may lead dogs to grind their teeth repeatedly during flare-ups or periods of discomfort, especially when the pain escalates.

5. Anxiety, Stress, and Focal Seizures

In short, bruxism or teeth grinding is caused mainly by anxiety and stress due to increased muscle tension or sympathetic nervous system activation. Anxiety, stress, and focal seizures are some of the causes of bruxism.

Anxiety and stress

Anxiety and stress tend to be associated with direct effects on muscular tension, especially in the jaws. The resultant clinical symptoms could be in the form of sleep clenching or grinding.

Activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System

Stress can cause a "fighting or protecting" reaction, increasing muscular activity. Chronic stress switches on the mechanism that may encourage bruxism as an unconscious response to increased arousal.    

Coping strategies

Grinding or clenching can be a subconscious or habitual coping mechanism for stress or anxiety, comparable to nail-biting or fidgeting.

Focal Seizures

Muscle contractions, characteristic of focal seizures involving the temporal or motor parts of the brain, can result in abnormal muscle contractions, including in the jaw. These seizures may trigger involuntary clenching and grinding.

Postictal Period

During or after seizure activity, the muscles can remain tense, and bruxism can occur. Seizure-related jaw movements may involve repetitive actions like clenching, especially in seizures that affect movement.

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Anxiety, Stress, and Focal Seizures

Anxiety and stress increase seizure attacks, making focal seizures more likely to develop. A seizure might exacerbate teeth grinding if the jaw muscles are involved.

Prolonged anxiety and stress can cause bruxism independently while acting as seizure triggers, creating a vicious cycle where both factors contribute to jaw muscle overactivity.

At the same time, focal seizures directly lead to abnormal muscle activities, including those involving the jaw muscles. Together, these conditions increase the risk and severity of bruxism.

6. Jaw Abnormalities

Abnormalities of the jaw can cause your puppy to grind teeth because the teeth move and position abnormally there. Misalignments of the jaw, broken or fractured jaws, crossbite, and hemifacial microsomia may result in discomfort, and a dog's chewing may become a problem. 

Possible causes include dental pain, infections, or abnormal jaw development. Dogs may clench or grind their teeth when something is painful or irritating in the mouth—once more, as a reflexive action to comfort.

7. Vitamins Deficiency

Dogs that grind their teeth have muscle and nerve disorders from a lack of critical vitamins and minerals. Neurological abnormalities caused by deficiency in B-complex vitamins, particularly B1, B6, and B12 will cause strange sensations or discomfort in the mouth and jaw muscles, and the dog will grind its teeth, maybe even lick metallic objects. 

Specifically, B vitamins are essential for our nerves and can cause nerve pain, muscle tension, and even involuntary muscle movements — all of which can contribute to bruxism. It could also be another calcium or magnesium deficit necessary for healthy muscle function. Without these minerals, muscular spasms or cramping in the jaw might cause a dog to grind its teeth.

8. Stomach Worms

Stomach worms, such as intestinal parasites like pinworms or roundworms, don’t directly cause bruxism, but the pain, stress, and sleep deprivation from parasite infection can contribute to the condition. Stomach worms will cause teeth grinding by altering different body functions.

Intestinal parasites are very uncomfortable. 

It can lead to restless sleep and subconscious reactions such as teeth grinding, all caused by this discomfort, particularly at night. Pinworms are known for itching around the anus leads to sleep deprivation. Disrupted sleep patterns can also contribute to the bruxism problem.

Toxins released by some parasites or disturbance of metabolism will stimulate the nervous system and make the dog restless, which leads to disturbed sleep, and subsequently, bruxism will occur.

Parasites can also impede the absorption of vital nutrients (such as B vitamins and magnesium). Thus, these deficiencies may also stimulate bruxism due to nervous system disturbances and stress.

9. Urinary Obstruction

Another condition that can indirectly cause bruxism is urinary obstruction, which is defined as a barrier that prevents urine from flowing normally (tooth grinding). Urinary blockage generates tension and pain, which is the relationship between the two disorders, even though they are unrelated.

Urinary obstruction leads to extreme pain and irritation in the lower abdomen and urinary tract. This problem causes pain, stress, and a disturbed sleep cycle. These medical conditions will directly cause teeth-grinding 

10. Anthrax 

In dogs with anthrax, teeth grinding is most likely a subsequent response to the pain, discomfort, and stress. While bruxism is not a sure indicator of anthrax, it may be a symptom of suffering for the dog.

Dogs who pound their teeth may be indirectly affected by anthrax, either directly or indirectly, due to stress, pain, or discomfort. 

Severe symptoms, including fever, edema, respiratory troubles, and gastrointestinal issues, can occur in dogs exposed to anthrax. These symptoms can make dogs feel quite uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable dogs may grind their teeth as a coping mechanism, just like humans when they clench their jaws.

FAQs:

Is There any Chance to Break the Teeth?

Yes, there is a good chance your dog can break teeth and hamper and tamper with its jaw. If you see a change in facial structure, this has already happened.

What to do When Dogs Grind Their Teeth?

Taking your canine companion to the vet is the first step. Examine your pet's teeth and gums to find any oral issues. Consider whether gastrointestinal troubles are the cause. Your dog may require nutritional changes to address gastrointestinal disorders. Look for any stress or anxiety-causing components in your dog's environment. Lowering the stress might cause the grinding to cease.

Is There any Process to Prevent These Situations?

Some practical ways to prevent this are regular vet check-ups, proper macro and micro-balanced diet, and, more importantly, dental care.

Conclusion

If your dog grinds their teeth (bruxism), it usually indicates pain or an underlying health problem.

By treating the underlying cause - dental, digestive, stress-related, or medical—you may help your dog avoid grinding its teeth and enhance its general comfort and well-being.

Teeth grinding in dogs should not be disregarded since it might indicate discomfort, agony, or anxiety. The best action is to see a veterinarian, examine your dog's teeth and overall health, and address any underlying disorders before the grinding causes additional damage. We wish you and your dog a healthy and happy life.