What to do if Your Child Grinds Their Teeth at Night

If you are noticing nighttime teeth grinding in your child, it’s important first to know you’re not alone. Teeth grinding in children is a very common occurrence, and is usually outgrown by age 12. However, watching your baby grinding teeth is just as painful for you as it is for them. What can you do to help alleviate the aches associated with a toddler grinding teeth? First, you need to learn all there is to know about tooth grinding, or Bruxism. 

What is Bruxism? In this blog, All Stars Pediatric has the answers.

What Causes Teeth Grinding? 

Teeth grinding doesn’t just happen out of the blue. There are plenty of internal and external reasons why your child may be grinding their teeth. Discovering the cause may be all that you need to do in order to stop this unhealthy habit in your kid. 

Why do kids grind their teeth? There are several teeth grinding causes, such as stress from school or home, or inner-ear pressure that your child is trying to alleviate. If you’re not sure why your child is grinding their teeth, you can always contact your local pediatric dentist with your concerns.

How do you know whether or not your child is grinding their teeth? There are plenty of symptoms that you can be on the lookout for. If you start to notice any of these signs in your child, you should contact your pediatric dentist.

Common teeth grinding symptoms:

• Chipped Teeth
• Worn/Flattened Teeth
• Misalignment
• Jaw Pain
• Headaches
• Tooth Pain/Sensitivity

How to Prevent Teeth Grinding 

Most tooth grinding occurs when your child isn’t even aware of it, like when they’re asleep. If you see that your child is exhibiting signs of grinding teeth in sleep, don’t worry. Simply find a pediatric dentist near you who has experience treating Bruxism. It should be easy for you to determine whether or not your child is grinding their teeth in their sleep. In addition to the painful physical symptoms that manifest during the day, you may also hear a grinding noise coming from your child when you check on them at night. 

Your pediatric dentist will be able to consult with you and give you a few options to help your child. One of the solutions for more serious cases is using a custom-made mouth guard for grinding teeth. This will protect your child’s teeth from the friction and pressure of grinding, and will help them stay strong as your child grows. If you are worried about your child grinding their teeth, don’t hesitate to contact your pediatric dentist. You should never feel helpless in the face of an issue that has a solution. Your pediatric dentist will be able to help your child avoid the pains that come with Bruxism.

Treating Bruxism in Pediatric Patients

Is your child suffering from Bruxism? Have your pediatric dentist assess the state of their mouth with a pediatric dental exam. All Stars Pediatric can check out your child’s teeth and provide easy solutions for Bruxism. You don’t have to feel helpless to your child’s pain when you work with All Stars Pediatric. Let our team of experienced hygienists keep your child happy and pain-free! Call today for an appointment: 770-292-9441