Many children grind their teeth. Children’s Dental Center sees this a lot in the patients we serve. Most cases we see are not a cause for great concern. Teeth grinding, or bruxism, typically happens more frequently at night while a child is sleeping. Experts aren’t always sure why, but some common reasons for grinding are:
- the teeth are not aligned correctly
- to relieve pain, possibly due to teething, earaches or growth spurts
- stress
Most children who grind their teeth do not develop problems and grow out of it as they get older. Most cases do not have any ill effects on the child, but there are circumstances where grinding can cause headaches or earaches, wear on the teeth and possibly even chipped teeth. Baby teeth will who more wear due to the fact that the enamel is not as hard or thick as permanent teeth.
There is typically no treatment necessary for a child grinding their teeth, but visit with your pediatric dentist about this problem to be certain. If wear becomes noticeable on permanent teeth, a bruxism splint may be recommended. Talk to your dentist at Children’s Dental Center to learn more about teeth grinding and explore your options.
-Joe Olsen, DDS