Teeth Grinding In Children

Teeth grinding is not a condition limited to adults but can also include some children.  Approximately 15 to 33 percent of children grind their teeth, typically during sleep rather than waking hours.  The average child’s age for starting is around 3 1/2 years and the average age for stopping is 6 years. Children who grind their teeth usually have baby teeth or permanent teeth emerging.  Most children will lose the teeth grinding habit by the time they reach adolescence and have replaced their baby teeth with a permanent set that’s stronger, better and more aligned.

Grinding teeth in sleep can wear down tooth enamel, increase tooth sensitivity, chip teeth, cause facial pain and jaw problems.  Most kids who grind do not have TMJ problems unless they experience chronic teeth grinding.  Many cases go undetected with no adverse effects, while others may suffer from headaches or earaches.  Consult your child’s dentist if your child’s teeth look worn or if your child complains of tooth pain.

Teeth Grinding Causes

Doctors think that children grind their teeth due to stress, improperly aligned teeth, (irregular contact between upper and lower teeth) or other medical conditions (such as pinworm, endocrine disorders, allergies, and nutritional deficiencies).

Diagnosing Teeth Grinding

Grinding of baby teeth rarely results in problems. Many kids grind their teeth at night and don’t even know it.  The family will usually identify the problem.

Some signs to watch for include:

  • Teeth grinding when your child is asleep
  • Complaints of a sore jaw or face in the morning
  • Pain with chewing
  • Headaches
  • Damaged tooth enamel
  • Ear aches
  • Thumb sucking
  • Chewing inside of cheek
  • Fingernail biting

If your child has already lost their baby teeth and are grinding their permanent teeth, then it’s best to check with your dentist to see if there is any problems with the alignment of teeth and check for damages of the teeth’s enamel.   The dentist will examine the teeth for chipped enamel and unusual wear on the teeth, spray air and water on the teeth to check for unusual sensitivity.

If the dentist finds damage, he or she may ask your child a few questions:

  • How do you feel before bed time?
  • Are you worried about anything at school or home?
  • Are you angry with someone?

The dental exam will help the dentist determine whether the teeth grinding is caused by misaligned teeth or stress factors.  Then the dentist will come up with an effective treatment plan specific for your child.

Tips to Stop Your Child from Teeth Grinding

Some tips to stop grinding teeth include:

  • Make sure your child is drinking enough water as dehydration may be linked to teeth grinding.
  • Try massage and stretching exercises to relax jaw muscles
  • Decrease the child’s stress, especially just before bed.  Stress could be nervous tension or anger.  It might be caused by a test at school or a change in routine (new sibling or a new teacher),  parents or sibling arguments.
  • Ask your dentist to monitor your child’s teeth if she or he is a teeth grinder.

Teeth Grinding Treatment

Intervention is usually NOT needed for preschool age children but older children may need temporary crowns or other dental methods such as mouth guards for teeth grinding to keep the teeth apart to avoid gnashing, clenching or grinding.  A mouth guard may take some getting used to, but positive results happen quickly.  But your child’s dentist probably won’t consider this option till your child is at least 6 years of age with some permanent teeth.

If there’s a problem with the way your child’s teeth are lining up, your dentist may be able polish them to fit them together better.

Kids may be able to control their stress level before bedtime by taking a warm bath or shower, listening to a few minutes of soothing music or reading a few books.  You can ask what is upsetting to your child and find a way to help.  Ask them their concerns and try to ease their fears.

How Long Does Teeth Grinding Last?

Teeth grinding is usually outgrown by adolescence and by the time they lose all their baby teeth.  Although, some kids will continue to grind.

Studies

A couple recent studies report some interesting findings regarding teeth grinding in children.  It appears that grinding of teeth can occur in association with night-time muscle cramps, colic, drooling, sleep talking and bed wetting.  Sleep disturbances may be the underlying cause for these activities.

It is possible that children who are bed wetters and experience teeth grinding have similar sleep patterns. Interruptions in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep patterns may be a result of dehydration.  If the child is dehydrated, there is an increase in sodium molecules circulating in the blood.  The increase in sodium can be a destabilizing factor for REM patterns.  Children who are well hydrated with water (not milk or juice) may stop bed-wetting and may also stop grinding teeth.