Can nightly teeth grinding (bruxism) cause tmj?

i've been grinding my teeth at night since i was a child. now, within the past month or so, i've been hearing a popping/clicking noise every time i open or close my mouth... i have no pain associated with it however. i'm afraid it could be tmj, and i was wondering if that could have come along due to my grinding?

i've known about the grinding for a while, and my dentist decided it wasn't yet severe enough for a nightly mouthguard.

Grinding can be caused by many factors, including stress, malocclusion, medicine, etc. The jaw has many muscles, and during the night they contract due to one of the casues mentioned above. It is possible that grinding leads to TMJ problems. When u grind u are compressing the joint which is 2 bones with a little of cartilage in between. This compression may lead to thinning of the cartiledge, or bone remodeling may occur due to your constant pressure. The clicking and popping are signs of the joint not doing as good as it should. Some people live with it for many years, some develop more pronounce problems later in life. It is hard to tell who will develop what. In essence grinding may lead to this. You should visit your dentist, and if he is not a specialist in this subject he may refer you to someone who is. I hope this helps,

yes it can... The popping / clicking is probably calcium build up in the join.t

When you are familiar with the term 'tmj' I wonder why it did not occur to you that the first line of defence would be a custom (dentist) made mouthguard to be worn at night. Have an early consult done with a dentist/orthodontist who would diagnose you for existence of any malocclusions also.