Patients who have a habit of clenching or grinding (bruxing) their teeth may be at risk of overloading their dental implants. For most people bruxism occurs during sleep, which is why they are generally not aware of it. Heavily worn or flattened teeth, chipped enamel edges and/or regularly breaking pieces of heavily filled teeth are the most common clinical signs of bruxism. The effects of bruxism need to be considered during treatment planning and can be compensated for by placing additional dental implants, selecting appropriate restorative materials and providing a night time bite guard to protect the new teeth.