Some dentists say more young people are grinding their teeth - are you one of them?

Ella, 31, lives with bruxism, a condition involving frequent teeth grinding. She recalls severe jaw pain, headaches and being told her back teeth were wearing down, though she cannot pinpoint when the night-time grinding began.

Estimates suggest close to a quarter of the population experiences bruxism, with many unaware of it. The British Dental Association notes anecdotal signs that cases are rising, but says precise data is lacking. Several dentists told the BBC they are concerned about more younger patients arriving with damage from persistent grinding.

Stress is widely discussed as a major contributor. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy says grinding comes up more often in therapy sessions, reflecting greater awareness of links between mental health and physical symptoms. One expert quoted in the article connects trauma and stress to a "fight or flight" response that tenses muscles, including through links between the jaw and cranial nerves.

Ella described night-time grinding as a release of tension accumulated during the day. She said it affected her sleep and wellbeing, and that recent treatment had "without a doubt" changed her life, as she put it.

She paid privately for Botox injections into the masseter muscles that move the jaw, a procedure not usually available through the NHS. The treatment eased tightness in her face and is expected to work for three to four months, after which she says her sleep and mental health improved.