Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is a nervous habit just like nail biting, except people are usually aware when they are biting their nails and the tatty, stumpy nails are obvious for all to see. In the case of bruxism however; people can be grinding their teeth for many years without being aware of it and there are no outward signs until the teeth begin to level out to completely straight edges. When the habit starts to show symptoms like pain or discomfort, there are certain forms of bruxism treatment which can help; but the ideal situation would be to recognize the habit in its early stages and quit before any damage is done. The most likely case however is that a person will only be aware they have the bruxism habit once the symptoms appear; like headache or migraine, earache or tinnitus, or pain anywhere in the mouth or jaw.