Why Does Your Child Grind Their Teeth—And How Can You Help Them Stop?
If you're a parent who is worried over your child's teeth grinding, take heart—you are not alone. Teeth grinding is quite a common issue among children today, in fact. Whilst many cases of teeth grinding will resolve on their own as your child grows, that's not always the case. Your dentist can offer solutions when you need them—but to understand how the treatments work and when you need them, it is best to first try to understand why the teeth grinding is actually happening. Below, you'll learn why your child is grinding their teeth—and how you can help them!
Why Does Teeth Grinding Happen?
The reason for teeth grinding in children isn't always known. There may be sometimes be a psychological cause. Has your child recently faced changes like a new school, a new home, or changes in the family dynamic? When your child faces stressors, they might respond by grinding their teeth whilst not even knowing it.
Another possible cause for teeth grinding may relate to air pressure in the environment. For example, if you live in a lower altitude area but often visit higher altitude areas, this can cause major pressure inside the ears. Children sometimes grind their teeth whilst trying to alleviate the feeling of pressure.
In some cases, children grind their teeth due to irregular teeth alignment. For example, serious overbite or underbite might be uncomfortable enough that your child grinds their teeth due to pain.
Solutions For Teeth Grinding in Children
Your pediatric dentist can evaluate your child to determine the best solution for their teeth grinding. The treatment can depend on several factors, including the cause of the grinding and the severity of the damage.
Sometimes, your dentist may recommend no action because they believe your child is likely to grow out of the habit. In cases where the teeth grinding results from stress or other psychological issues, counseling might be recommended. If counseling isn't successful in resolving the issue, dental treatments may be pursued.
Whilst the cause of the teeth grinding does impact the treatment in most cases, very serious damage must usually be treated with a night mouth guard regardless of the cause. A night mouth guard is a customised dental device that fits securely over your child's teeth to keep them from grinding whilst asleep.
Although your child's teeth grinding might not require any action right now, it's always best to check with your dentist to make sure. The habits that your child develops now will follow them into adulthood—so speak to your dentist to make sure that teeth grinding isn't an ongoing problem!
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