Children May Grind Their Teeth At Night

By Sonia Gallat

When small children grind their teeth at night, is that a serious problem that should be looked into? Usually the reason why a young child will grind their teeth is because their teeth are growing in, breaking through the skin, and other things are changing in their mouth as well. These things can all be very annoying and as a result the child develops a habit of grinding their teeth.

So, at what age does it become an issue if they dont stop? Definitely, the older the child the more of a problem it might be. If a young kid starts grinding their teeth as they grow in and then continues to do it long afterward, this might potentially be a problem. With any kind of bruxism in children or adults, you always want to stop the damage from happening before it is too late.

Your pediatrician should be able to answer questions about your child if you observe them grinding their teeth. Although there is no specific cure for bruxism, your doctor should have some ideas and suggestion of what you can do to stop the problem. There is no guarantee that any method will work though, as every child is different and the cause of the problem may be different as well.

Adults are usually made aware that they might be grinding their teeth from their dentists who see the wear from years of grinding. Something like bruxism may not show up for years as teeth are strong and there will be no evidence of it right away. This is why sometimes a spouse may be the only one who knows a person is a grinder by hearing the grinding at night.

With a child this wear to the teeth may not have time to show up because there is no evidence of it yet. Parents of small children are usually the only ones who know it is happening as they can hear their child grind while they sleep. If you are a parent who suspects you child may be grinding their teeth, you should talk to your childs doctor to see if there is anything he might suggest to stop it before it becomes a bigger problem. - 30224

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