Help with Teeth Grinding

J.,

I know what you mean, the grinding drives me crazy too, I can't stand it. Both of my daughters went through it. My youngest had it the worst, it got so bad at night that we had to move her to another bedroom because it kept her older sister up all night.

But like sucking on pacifiers and thumbs, grinding the teeth (bruxism) is a common habit that usually disappears on its own. The two peak periods of bruxism are as the baby teeth arrive in very young children and again at 5 or 6 as the permanent teeth begin to come in. Grinding could slowly damage the enamel of the teeth, but the baby teeth do not remain in place long enough for that to be a concern. The habit usually stops long before permanent damage to the adult teeth occurs.

In the short run nothing needs to be done, but anything relaxing before bed might help (a warm bath, a backrub, some soothing music, some chamomile tea). If the bruxism continues, your dentist might be able to provide you with further assistance in how to break the habit of nighttime grinding.

I hope this helps... good luck!

Bella

I work at a dental office and I can tell you it is normal for a child to grind his teeth. Not much you can do to prevent it though. Alot of it has to do with natural jaw and tooth development. I have had parents tell me they can hear their children grinding in the other room. If it seems she is doing it on purpose then you might want to try a teething ring or teething biscuit. I don't know how many teeth she has, but she could be teething again. Eventually most children outgrow it and if she doesn't then a nightguard can be made when she is a teenager.

My son did this also, but not for long. He loves to make noises with his mouth, using just mouth parts, his hands or arms, or toys. He has been at this for months and it's mostly entertaining. He started grinding his teeth after he got his top middle teeth. Whenever we heard it, we would hold his jaw and firmly tell him "no". I don't know if this had any effect or he just outgrew it. I asked a friend of mine who is a dentist and he said not to worry unless it continues for a while after his permanent teeth come in.

J.

She just likes the sound that it makes. i went through this too and our dentist said to just ignore the fact that they do it. If you react to them making the sound, they will notice that they are getting attention by doing it and therefore do it more. My son is 13 months now and doesn't do it at all anymroe.

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My son also did this just for a short time. I think it is a fascination for them to have something in their mouth permanantly. The doctor told me to not make a big deal out of it and they will most likely stop sooner, but the more attention you pay her when she does it she might do it longer. Good luck and I feel for your ears!