What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is a condition that affects people of all ages, including young children. It involves grinding, clenching or gnashing the teeth. It’s typically unconconscious, meaning kids do it without thinking about it. When kids grind their teeth when they’re awake, it’s called awake bruxism. Clenching or grinding teeth at night during sleep is called sleep bruxism. When children have sleep bruxism, they may also have other sleep disorders like snoring or sleep apnea.
Why do Kids Grind Their Teeth?
As we mentioned, a baby or toddler grinding teeth could just be their way of learning about how their mouth works or it can be a response to teething pain. When it’s a regular occurrence, kids’ bruxism may be due to anxiety, stress or frustration, or it could be an unconscious habit when they’re concentrating really hard. Sleep bruxism may be anxiety-related but many times it’s because of some sort of arousal during sleep like the awakenings that occur with sleep apnea, which children can experience too. Other risk factors for teeth grinding in children include:
- Age – Teeth grinding in young children is common and it often goes away by their teenage years.
- Medications – Certain medications, including those used to treat ADHD can increase the likelihood of teeth grinding in kids.
- Genetics – Sleep bruxism can run in families.
- Other Disorders – Conditions and issues, including sleep apnea, epilepsy, night terrors and ADHD are tied to teeth grinding in children.
When to Visit a Pediatric Dentist About Teeth Grinding in Children?
Mild bruxism in babies and toddlers probably doesn’t need treatment and they’ll likely outgrow it. That said, there are always exceptions to normal teeth grinding that suggest a number of symptoms to look out for. However, if you’re concerned, you can always bring it up with your pediatric dentist at your child’s regular exam. More aggressive grinding can lead to damaged or worn teeth, tooth and jaw pain, earaches or headaches. In older children, it’s a good idea to keep a closer eye on teeth grinding so that they don’t damage their permanent teeth. If your child is in pain because of teeth grinding, call your pediatric dentist and schedule a visit.
How to Stop Teeth Grinding in Children
If you have a toddler or baby grinding teeth in response to , you can try offering a teething toy for them to chew on. Counterpressure alleviates some of the discomfort of a tooth coming in, so chewing on things helps. For a DIY teether, you can give them a moistened, chilled wash cloth to chew on.
In older children, if you think teeth grinding is due to anxiety or stress, try getting to the root of the problem. Dealing with the cause of the stress and introducing them to other coping mechanisms can help stop teeth grinding.
If your child has sleep bruxism and it’s damaging their teeth or causing jaw pain, we sometimes will create a custom nightguard. This mouthguard helps cushion the impact from grinding, which prevents damage to the teeth and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). If the teeth clenching or grinding is in conjunction with another sleep issue like sleep apnea, that would likely need to be addressed as well.
While most of the time, kids will outgrow teeth grinding and it won’t lead to any complications. However, if you’re worried or your child is having pain because of it, schedule a visit at . We’ll chat with you and examine your child to determine if your little one could benefit from an intervention like a mouthguard. To see how we’re keeping our Brooklyn pediatric dental patients safe, check out what’s changed at our office due to COVID-19
Babies start teething anywhere between the age of 6 months and a year, and as any parent can tell you, it can be a rather fraught time. The discomfort of teeth emerging through the gums can leave baby grouchy, bad-tempered, and constantly whiny.
It also means that they will put almost anything they can in their mouths to chew. And sometimes you may notice your baby grinds teeth.
Why do babies grind their teeth?
This may simply be a way to relieve the pain and explore their newly developed teeth, but if it happens constantly, especially at night, they may have bruxism, a condition that causes regular grinding of the teeth.
Bruxism is the medical term for regular and habitual grinding of teeth. It affects all age groups, from babies to adults, and can occur at all times of the day. If it happens at night it is called sleep bruxism. Luckily, most cases are not serious and do not require medical treatment.
How to stop a baby from grinding teeth?
Although baby grinding teeth is not usually a serious problem, the sound can be very disturbing, especially at night. And if the habit is left unchecked and develops into a long-term one, it can lead to more serious problems such as:
- worn or damaged teeth
- jaw pain or soreness
- earache
- headache around the temples
It is, therefore, a good idea to try and ease your baby’s discomfort. There are many toothing gels and creams on the market, but we would not recommend using them. These are basically analgesic creams that numb the mouth, so while they relieve the discomfort, they can also result in your child injuring their mouth by biting on a sharp object and not being able to feel pain.
There are several natural ways you can stop an infant grinding new teeth. The first is to make sure your baby is relaxed and calm before going to bed. To do this you should:
- Gently massage your baby and stretch their arms and legs to decrease muscular tension
- Rub their temples in an anti-clockwise direction for a few minutes
If these techniques are not enough, or you need to stop your infant grinding teeth during the day you can try:
Natural rubber teethers
These are toys or rings made of rubber which your baby can chew when they feel discomfort. It is important that they are made of natural rubber though as ones made from artificial materials could contain toxic chemicals.
Ice teethers
These contain a small amount of liquid which retains cold. Keep them in your refrigerator and when the baby is showing signs of distress, give them one to chew; the cold will ease the pain.
Teething necklaces
Teething necklaces are necklaces with large beads made of silicone. These are great for outdoors as they allow the baby to chew while keeping their hands free to do more exploring. Just be aware that there is always a risk of strangulation when you put something around a baby’s neck, so never leave them unattended when they are wearing a necklace, and always remove it at night.
If the problem persists beyond the teething stage, you should consult a dentist. The chances are it will clear up by itself by the time your child reaches their teens, but you need to monitor the teeth to make sure they are not being damaged.
We hope you found this blog useful, and if you have any further questions, please contact us at Doral Sedation Dentistry — we will be happy to answer them. Thank you for your time and have a nice day.