Some think it’s nails on a chalkboard. Others think it’s a cat or a dog about to vomit. Perhaps it could be chewing with one’s mouth open. 

But for us at Adaven Children’s Dentistry, we believe the worst sound ever is that of a child grinding his or her teeth. 

Ack!

A child grinding their teeth not only sounds terrible, more concerning are the habit being formed and the potential for long-term damage. For most kids, it’s a habit they’ll grow out of, but there are a couple things to keep in mind for little teeth grinders. 

As always, if you have any questions about teeth grinding or anything else, give us a call at 702-492-1955.

Teeth Grinding Without Even Noticing

For some children, teeth grinding is involuntary, and it can occur without a child even noticing it or when they’re sleeping. 

Bruxism is the technical term where one grinds or clinches their teeth. If it’s a minor case, it’s something that doesn’t present any short or long term issues and will eventually go away as the child gets older and more mature. In its worst stages, it can cause headaches, jaw problems and teeth damage. 

We tend to see bruxism in children starting from a young age usually lasting till around the time they lose their baby teeth. Sometimes, parents won’t even know their child grinds there teeth but we’ll see signs of teeth flattening, chipped or other damage to enamel. 

Other risk factors could be teeth that aren’t aligned properly, stress or medications.

How To Make It Stop

The noise alone drives parents crazy, but resolving teeth grinding can also lead to fewer headaches or oral issues. 

For older kids, we’ve found that the easiest way to eliminate teeth grinding is to educate the patient of the issue and work with the parent to help alleviate the problem. 

For younger children we’ll recommend teething toys that can reduce pressure. Some cases a mouthguard while sleeping will work. 

If the problem is due to stress or other non-dental issues, sometimes it’s as simple as talking the child through their fears and through stressful situations. If that’s not working, we’d be happy to recommend other services such as an orthodontist who can look for clues as to why the grinding is occurring to help solve the problem. Luckily for you, if that is the case, you wouldn’t have to go far since we have one of the best orthodontist right here under our roof!

Every Child is Different 

At Adaven, we’ve been around long enough to see it all. Sometimes a child can have teeth grinding problems for years – some they can ditch the habit in weeks. 

if you’re unsure what to do or how bad it really is, feel free to give us a call.