Lots of people grind their teeth, usually at night, without ever knowing they do it. Over time it wears teeth down, chips them and leaves your jaw aching in the morning. We help protect the teeth you have and take the pressure off your jaw, most often with a custom-made night guard.
Grinding means rubbing your top and bottom teeth back and forth, or clenching them hard together. Most people do it in their sleep, so the first they hear of it is a partner mentioning the noise, or a dentist spotting the wear at a check-up. The clinical name for it is bruxism, which you can read about on our Bruxism page.
The reason it matters is simple. Enamel, the hard outer layer of your teeth, does not grow back once it is worn away. Night after night of grinding slowly flattens the biting edges, thins the enamel and can chip or crack teeth. It can also make teeth sensitive, tire the jaw, and bring on headaches. Left long enough, worn teeth can need crowns or other rebuilding work that a night guard might have prevented.
The good news is that protecting your teeth is usually straightforward. The main step is a custom-made night guard, a slim guard worn over your teeth while you sleep. It takes the wear itself, rather than your teeth, and eases the strain on your jaw. You can read how they are made on our Night Guards page.
A guard protects your teeth, but it is also worth looking at what is driving the grinding in the first place. We check your bite, ask about stress and sleep, and treat any teeth that are already worn. Grinding is often tied up with jaw ache and the jaw joint, so we may also point you to our Jaw Pain and TMD Treatment pages. We keep our advice simple and honest, and never promise more than a guard can realistically do.
Signs you might grind your teeth:
Flat, worn or shortened teeth
Chipped or cracked teeth
Teeth that have become sensitive
Headaches around the temples
A partner hears grinding at night
Ridges on your tongue or marks inside your cheeks
How we help:
A custom-made night guard to protect your teeth
Easing the strain on your jaw
Repairing teeth that are already worn or chipped
Checking how your teeth meet, your bite
Talking through triggers like stress and sleep
Keeping an eye on it over time
Book your appointment
New patient examination £92
We start with an examination and a look at the wear. Including any X-rays you need.
Whether anyone has heard you grind, how your jaw feels, and how you sleep. If you are nervous, tell us. It changes how we do things.
02
We check the wear
We look at how worn, chipped or flattened your teeth are, check your bite and feel your jaw. Digital X-rays if we need them, with far less radiation than film.
03
We show you what we found
On screen with photos where we can, so you can see the wear for yourself rather than take our word for it.
04
A written plan and a price
Usually a custom night guard, plus any repairs to worn teeth. We set out what each costs and what happens if you leave it. Nothing is booked until you have had a think.
Longer appointments, so we can talk through your concerns and give you a break if you need one.
Almost pain-free injections
The Wand numbs you without the big needle or the sting. Most patients are surprised how easy it is.
Digital X-rays
We diagnose faster, more accurately and with far less radiation than older film.
A hand to hold
Bring a partner in, or hold a nurse's hand. If you ever need us, we respond the same day.
About Waterside Dental
Your private dental practicein Hythe.
Waterside Dental is a private practice in Hythe, owned and led by principal dentist Dr Nikos Louskos since 2017. It has recently been refurbished to feel more like home than a clinic, and is run by a small, hand-picked team — so you'll always see a familiar face.
Care here is unhurried and patient-led. Appointments are longer so concerns can be talked through properly, treatment is explained in plain language, and nothing is rushed — with breaks during longer procedures whenever you need them.
We welcome private patients from Hythe and across Southampton — whether you're registering as a new patient or visiting for a single course of treatment while staying with your current dentist.
"I firmly believe that dentistry doesn't have to be unpleasant or scary, and that often it can be life-changing."
DR NIKOS LOUSKOS
Our Principal Dentist
Meet Dr NikosLouskos.
DDS · MSc Endodontics · GDC No. 102626
Principal dentist and practice owner, with a special interest in endodontics.
Dr Nikos Louskos qualified in Athens in 2005 and moved to the UK in 2006. He worked as an associate at Waterside before taking ownership of the practice in 2017.
In 2016 he completed a Master's in Endodontic Practice at Queen Mary University of London. He accepts referrals for complex root canal cases, which he treats under a microscope, and enjoys all aspects of general dentistry.
Nobody wants surprises after a dental visit. You'll get an itemised treatment plan with exact costs before anything begins, plus monthly payment options to spread the cost.
Finance is provided by Tabeo and is interest-bearing from 9.9% APR. Practice-plan discounts apply to selected treatments — full terms are listed on the Fees and Plans pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions patientsask us.
A few of the things patients ask us most often. If your question isn't here, just get in touch — we're happy to talk it through.
Often you do not, because most people grind in their sleep. The usual clues are flat or worn teeth, chips, an aching jaw in the morning, headaches, or a partner hearing it at night. We can spot the wear at a check-up, which is often how people first find out.
Yes. Bruxism is the clinical name for grinding and clenching your teeth. We use the plain word here, but you will see bruxism on your notes and in leaflets. Our Bruxism page goes into the causes in more detail.
It can if it is left. Enamel does not grow back once it is worn away, so grinding slowly flattens, thins and chips teeth over time. That is why protecting them early with a night guard is worth doing.
For most people it is a custom-made night guard worn while you sleep. It takes the wear instead of your teeth and eases the strain on your jaw. We also look at what might be driving the grinding, and repair any teeth already worn. See our Night Guards page.
Not as well. A shop-bought guard is not made to fit your mouth, so it tends to be bulkier, less comfortable and shorter-lived. A guard made to fit your teeth is more comfortable and does its job properly, which means you are more likely to actually wear it.
We are honest about this. A night guard protects your teeth and eases your jaw, but it does not switch grinding off. Grinding is often tied to stress and sleep, so we talk through triggers too. If we think something else is going on, we will point you in the right direction.
Yes. Tell us when you book. We allow longer appointments so nothing is rushed, we use The Wand for almost pain-free injections if any are needed, and you can bring someone in with you or hold a nurse's hand.
Whether you'd like to book or just have a question about treatment, send us a message and a member of the team will get back to you — the same day wherever we can.
