College of Medicine

Angelina Sutin, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the Florida State University College of Medicine and author of that 2010 study, says one possible explanation is that neurotic people, who tend to be more negative, might have a reporting bias in that they see bruxism (teeth grinding) as a behavior of stressed-out or anxious people. “People who are more neurotic think lots of bad things always happen to them, to the extent they perceive bruxism is a bad thing to do, they might think, ‘Oh yes, I do that.’”

Whether or not the more neurotic individuals were actually persistent grinders, Sutin says her finding is consistent with the broader literature that people who are experiencing acute stress are more likely to grind their teeth at night. “My research shows this greater tendency to experience anxiety, stress, and negative emotions is associated with grinding teeth,” she says.  Read the full article.