Can you stop clenching your jaw during the day?

You might notice it halfway through an email or stuck in traffic: your back teeth are pressed together and the muscle at the side of your face feels hard. You let go, and a few minutes later the clench has crept back. A systematic review estimates that about one in four people report clenching, bracing or grinding while awake (Graham et al., 2026).

In this article I explain why daytime clenching behaves like a habit, what the research says about reminders, habit reversal and biofeedback, and what a night guard can and cannot do. You also get the plan I use in physiotherapy to replace the clench with a relaxed jaw.

Key takeaways

Yes, you can usually stop clenching during the day, because in healthy people awake clenching is a behaviour rather than a disorder, and behaviours can be retrained (Lobbezoo et al., 2018). The German bruxism guideline recommends awareness, mindfulness or relaxation techniques for self-management (Lange & Peroz, 2019). Reminder prompts, habit reversal and biofeedback can help too, although the studies are still small (Graham et al., 2026).

• Your teeth should be apart whenever you are not eating, and that rest position is what you train.
• Regular check-ins teach you to notice clenching, which is the first step to changing it.
• Night guards are made to protect your teeth during sleep. They do not train the daytime habit.

Why do I clench my jaw during the day without noticing?

An international consensus group defines awake bruxism as repeated or sustained tooth contact, or bracing and thrusting of the lower jaw, while you are awake. In otherwise healthy people the group sees it as a behaviour rather than a disorder, one that can become a risk factor (or in some cases even a protective factor) for clinical consequences (Lobbezoo et al., 2018).

The German guideline summary links awake clenching mainly to emotional stress and notes that many people have no idea they do it (Lange & Peroz, 2019). If worry is your main trigger, I cover that link in detail in can anxiety cause teeth clenching?

Researchers have tracked this with smartphone apps that ask several times a day what your jaw is doing. Across seven studies using the same app, healthy young adults reported an awake bruxism behaviour in 28 to 40 per cent of check-ins over a week (Colonna et al., 2023). Tooth contact and jaw bracing came up far more often than actual hard clenching (Zani et al., 2019).

Where should your teeth be when you're not eating?

Apart. The NHS puts it simply: apart from when you eat, your teeth should not be touching (NHS, TMD).

In physiotherapy I teach the rest position as lips gently closed, a small gap between the back teeth and the tongue resting softly on the roof of the mouth, with no pressure. The guideline summary also lists the tongue as a check point, since some people press it against their teeth or suck in their cheeks without noticing (Lange & Peroz, 2019). If your jaw feels tight even when you think it is relaxed, why does my jaw feel tight? explains the other causes.

Do reminders really help you stop clenching?

Yes, mainly by helping you notice. The guideline summary suggests something as low-tech as small red dots placed around your day, each one a cue to check whether your teeth are touching and your chewing muscles are tense (Lange & Peroz, 2019). In a Japanese trial described in a recent systematic review, people with jaw disorders who received email reminders cut their daytime tooth contacts more than a sticky-note group or a control group, although the trial was small with a high risk of bias (Graham et al., 2026).

Smartphone check-ins in research studies show a similar pattern. Most of these studies were done in healthy young adults and dental students, so they say little yet about people with jaw pain. In a randomised trial with 64 dental students, a significantly larger share of students who logged with an app changed how they reported their clenching than students who did not, which the authors read as increased awareness (Dias et al., 2024).

An app on its own does not guarantee a quieter jaw. In a six-month study of 77 young adults who logged three separate weeks, the frequency of awake bruxism behaviours stayed fairly constant (Colonna et al., 2025). In another study, an app sent 12 alerts a day for a month, and 97.5 per cent of students with high mindfulness scores halved their awake bruxism behaviours, compared with 62 per cent of those with low scores. There was no group without the app (Prado-E-Silva et al., 2025).

How does habit reversal work for jaw clenching?

Habit reversal is a behavioural method where you learn to spot the habit, interrupt the chain of actions leading to it and practise a competing response that uses the same muscles in the opposite way (Graham et al., 2026). For your jaw, the competing response is letting the teeth part and returning to the rest position every time you catch a clench.

The research here is thin. A case series of four people reported less bruxism that held at 6 and 12 months, but the review rates the certainty as very low (Graham et al., 2026). I still build my plan around it.

Why doesn't a night guard stop daytime clenching?

Night guards are made to protect your teeth during sleep. They do not train the daytime habit. The NHS describes mouth guards and splints as devices worn at night that protect your teeth from damage (NHS, teeth grinding). The guideline summary says splints protect the teeth and can temporarily reduce bruxism activity during sleep, although not reliably or for the long term (Lange & Peroz, 2019).

In my experience a splint protects your enamel but does not change the daytime habit. If you suspect night-time grinding too, see how do I know if I grind my teeth at night?, and our night guard alternative page explains the exercise-based approach.

Try it: the unclench plan

I give this plan to people whose clenching happens mostly during the day. Run it for a week, then look at what changed.

1. Pick your anchors: choose a few situations where you often clench, such as your laptop, the steering wheel or your phone. Put a small coloured sticker there or set a phone reminder.
2. Check in: at every anchor, ask yourself whether your teeth are touching, whether your cheek muscles feel firm and where your tongue is.
3. Make the competing move: let your lower jaw drop a few millimetres until the teeth separate, close your lips softly and let your tongue rest on the roof of your mouth. Breathe out slowly through your nose.
4. Hold it briefly: stay there for two slow breaths so your body learns how the rest position feels.
5. Keep a tally: each evening, note how often you caught yourself clenching. After a week you will know your main triggers.

Don't get annoyed at every catch, because each time you notice the clench you are practising the skill this plan is built on.

What else helps with daytime clenching?

In the moment

When a tense moment brings your teeth together, release your jaw and exhale slowly. The NHS suggests finding ways to relax, such as breathing exercises, music and regular exercise (NHS, teeth grinding). Skip chewing gum, pen chewing and nail biting (NHS, TMD). For a short reset at your desk, try our desk break jaw routine.

In the long run

Biofeedback devices beep or vibrate when your jaw muscles activate. A systematic review found they can lower jaw muscle activity within a few days, but most included studies had a high risk of bias (Vieira et al., 2023), and the guideline summary notes the effect lasts only while you use the device (Lange & Peroz, 2019). Progressive muscle relaxation is another option the guideline mentions (Lange & Peroz, 2019). The NHS advises stopping smoking and not drinking too much alcohol or caffeine (NHS, teeth grinding). Some antidepressants, including SSRIs, can bring on bruxism (Lange & Peroz, 2019), so speak to your prescriber rather than stopping them yourself. Gentle jaw and neck work from our TMJ exercises page fits well alongside the plan.

If stress keeps driving the clench, a GP can refer you to a psychologist when stress and anxiety are making jaw pain worse (NHS, TMD), and Cleveland Clinic lists cognitive behavioural therapy among ways to manage stress (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). In severe cases a doctor may suggest Botox, which temporarily relaxes the jaw muscles and usually needs repeating every few months (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). Evidence for medication in awake bruxism is very limited (Graham et al., 2026), so this is a decision to make with your doctor.

How JawBuddy helps

Our app is a digital companion for guided jaw exercises and self-management. Our separate medical programme, JawBuddy Therapy, includes a daily tooth contact check.

JawBuddy does not replace emergency care or an individual diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional.

When should you see a doctor?

Right away / emergency

• Call 999 in the UK, 911 in the US or 112 in the EU if you have chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw (NHS, heart attack).

Soon

• See a GP urgently or call 111 if you cannot eat or drink, cannot open your mouth fully or your jaw is locking (NHS, TMD).
• Get the same urgent advice for frequent, severe headaches, pain at the side of your head or vision problems such as double vision (NHS, TMD).
• See a dentist if clenching comes with damaged or sensitive teeth, or pain in your jaw, face or ear (NHS, teeth grinding).
• See a GP if stress or anxiety seems to be driving it, since they can help with the underlying cause (NHS, teeth grinding).

For more on protecting your teeth, see our teeth grinding page.

Give your jaw permission to rest

A habit that has run on autopilot for years takes time to fade. Every check-in where you let your teeth part makes the rest position a little more natural. Start today with two anchors from the plan and add more once they feel easy.

For the full picture on jaw problems and how they are treated, read our TMJ disorder guide.