Dr. Elaine Martinez Pediatric Dentistry

HELP! My child grinds his teeth…

Parents are often concern with nocturnal grinding during sleep. They describe it as “grinding glass”. It is believe that there is a psychological component like: stress, sleeping disorders and character or personality of the child. Stress may be due to new environment, demands at school and home, divorce; etc. Sleeping disorders may include sleep walking, sleep talking, nightmares and bed wetting. Another theory relates to pressure changes in the inner ear at night, moving the jaw back and forward helps to relieve this pressure.

Children with malocclusion or crowding may present as grinders , due to the inability of the teeth to come together properly during mastication and swallowing. In these cases early orthodontic intervention may be necessary.

Most of the time pediatric bruxism does not require any treatment. The child’s mouth and dentition is changing and growing constantly. However, wearing a mouth guard may be indicated in cases of severe attrition, where the primary and permanent dentition is been affected. Keep in mind that the damage to the permanent dentition is irreversible and the patient may face serious consequences in the future.

Children and parents may benefit from a psychological evaluation to determine the causes for bruxism and together find a solution to the problem. Consult with your pediatric dentist for definitive diagnoses and treatment if needed.

The good news is most children outgrow bruxism. The grinding gets less between the ages 6-9 and children tend to stop by the age of 12.

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