Bruxing is generally described as clenching or grinding of the teeth, but these are distinct activities that sometimes have different causes and impact on the patients wellbeing. Clenching is characterized by the bracing of the jaws, involving no movement. In grinding the lower jaw is tightened and moved sideways against the upper jaw. Therefore people who clench their teeth are more likely to report aching jaws with hardly any wear marks on the teeth. On the other hand, grinding is likely to leave distinct patterns of tooth wear. However, this can become clear only during a dental examination.