Grinding or clenching your teeth can have harmful consequences. If you're noticing unusual marks on some of your teeth, it's not just brushing that will help. It's a properly aligned bite that's key.

It's a growing problem among patients. "Many are noticing that they've got wear spots on their teeth, like a notch at the gum line," says Dr. Kris Tumilowicz, with Dental Dimensions. "Many times we're telling our patients you're brushing too hard. Maybe you should use a soft bristle brush instead of a hard bristle brush."

Often the problem though isn't a result of your brush, but rather your bite. Specifically, the grinding and clenching of teeth. This problem is called an abfraction.

"As a result, the tooth is losing a lot of enamel, especially right at the root level where the tooth meets the gum line," he says.

When your bite is slightly off, one tooth may hit sooner than the rest. This causes undue stress on the involved teeth, and they begin to flex.

"The tooth looks like it's literally being chopped down, so by the time the patient is 60 or 70 years old, that tooth may break," he describes.

That's why it's important to treat the problem as early as possible. "The dentist and the orthodontist will work to get the patient's bite better so we can eliminate these excessive forces so the teeth aren't wearing down prematurely," he says.

That's done by adjusting the bite with a fitted mouthpiece, wearing a night guard to prevent grinding, and then restoring the tooth.