I’m sure I don’t clench my teeth.

Often I see patients for which this statement is true; they do not put their teeth together, clenching during the day. It is possible, however, to hold tension in your jaw-clenching muscles without putting your teeth together. Try it. Place your hands over your cheek muscles and bite your teeth together. If your occlusion is adequate, you will feel the muscles pop out into your hands. Now, place your hands in the same position and see if you can make the muscles pop out into your hands without clenching your teeth together. If this is difficult for you to do, you are probably not a clencher. If you are able to do this, watch yourself during the day and see if one of your responses to stress is to tighten your muscles without clenching your cheek. If so, learn to react to the stressors of the day with a soft quiet jaw.