Teeth grinding is a bad habit for a child to have, especially when they just got their adult teeth in. Ignoring the problem can lead to various dental problems, such as their teeth abnormally wearing down, increased sensitivity, misalignment of the jaw, jaw pain, and an awkward bite that can cause headaches. You must understand what caused your kid to develop this habit, and help offer them options to treat it early on.

Reasons For Child Teeth Grinding

A child can start grinding their teeth for a couple reasons. The may be a temporary problem that is due to medications they are taking, or it may be brought on due to stress and anxiety, sleep problems, allergies, or a health condition.

Signs of Child Teeth Grinding

It can be difficult to find out if your child is grinding their teeth during the night, but you will most likely hear it before you are able to see it. It is a behavior that your child may not even be aware that they are doing, but poking your head into their room while they are sleeping could allow you to actually hear them doing it.

You can confirm your suspicions if your child complains about having teeth that feel very sensitive to hot or cold temperatures because they have worn down the enamel on them. They may be experiencing tenderness or pain in their jaw, have a tooth that has chipped, or complain about pain when putting pressure on their jaw when eating.

Treatment For Child Teeth Grinding

You'll want to schedule a dentist appointment, such as at at Kids Dental Tree, if your child is having issues with teeth grinding. The dentist will be able to identify the problem, suggest a plan to treat it, and possibly determine why it is happening.

If teeth grinding is happening because of poor sleep patterns, the dentist could suggest making changes to your child's diet as well as setting an early bed time that allows them to get more sleep. If the teeth grinding is due to stress, you should come up with a plant to eliminate it. It could be as simple working together on homework in the evenings and helping them when they need it. You may need to speak to a doctor about changing medications if that is believed to be the cause. Your dentist can also have a mouth guard made that is custom fit to your child's mouth, which will help prevent teeth grinding while they sleep.

While there are plenty of ways to treat teeth grinding, your dentist should help you pinpoint a possible solution.