Eliminate Jaw Pain with a Bruxism CureTooth grinding is also known as bruxism, and describes the unconscious grinding of or clenching of the teeth. When tooth grinding occurs at night, it is known specifically as sleep bruxism. It affects children and adults alike, although children typically only grind their teeth at night. The primary concern with grinding teeth is that most people are unaware they have the problem until it has led to further complications, such as damaged teeth, jaw pain, headaches, or conditions such as TMJ.