I used to grind my teeth and went through braces and painful periods of TMJ. I'm also very concerned with both my girls who also grind their teeth. This is a very common problem -sometimes it's stress related and other times not. I got a guard from my dentist that's hard but on the biting surface -it cushiony and very comfortable.

My physiotherapist also told me to get in the habit of keeping my jaw relaxed and teeth apart during the day. Many people clench during the day too. If you get in the constant habit of keeping the jaw relaxed, you'll do it at night. Always wear a mouth guard regardless, otherwise you'll wear away the surface of your teeth.