Grinding teeth

[MtnLivinMama]

I posted this in "dental", but didn't get much response. I thought it might get more readers here...

Ds (3.5 yrs) has been grinding his teeth during sleep for the past year or so. It was much more extreme than usual on a recent family trip, leading me to suspect that it might be stress-related (he was kind of off his game and overwhelmed by the travel).

His dentist thinks his grinding is because of jaw/bite issues, that kids tend to grind their teeth because their bite is uncomfortable, and that later on it might warrant orthidonture to better align the bite and make him more comfortable. His pediatrician suspects that it is anxiety related and that kids often just outgrow it. We're not looking into doing anything about it at this point, but I am trying to learn more.

Has anyone had experience with teeth grinding? Did it lead to any long-term problems (nerves exposed, etc)? Did your child outgrow it? Did you have to do any type of intervention or correction? Thanks!

[treemom2]

Both my children grind their teeth. I too was concerned and asked my dentist about it. He said it is very normal for children to do this as their teeth/bite need to be adjusted. My DD (she's 6) doesn't do it as often anymore, but she used to do it all the time. DS is just starting really doing it a lot (he's 3). I haven't heard of any problems with children doing this, only adults. I grind my teeth when I sleep and I'm now really noticing how much my bottom teeth are wearing down.

[EVC]

I am a terrible teeth-grinder I'm not sure how it is best dealt with in children, but my dentist is quite insistent that I invest in some teeth guards. Apparently I've already caused quite a bit of damage in there--just a word of caution.

[Blooming]

I was a teeth grinder as a kid, it was something I did when I was stressed. I did outgrow the teeth grinding but I am just now learning how to deal with stress and anxiety in a healthy manner.

As, for my teeth I can't tell you for sure if the grinding had a long term effect on them, as I have always had issues with my teeth.

[MtnLivinMama]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I want to be sure we're not missing something that we should be addressing now, rather than waiting for a bigger problem to arise. I had one friend growing up who needed a night guard after exposing nerves - I'd rather avoid this if we can! I guess we'll just continue to be aware of it, watch for changes over time...and hope he outgrows it as some of you have.

[LiamnEmma]

I think it can be a combination of both things. I clinch my jaw under stress and I grind in my sleep. I was supposed to have braces and for whatever reason it never happened--I suppose because my top teeth are perfectly aligned, but my bite is definitely off.

My ds has been a tooth grinder since birth. He has teeth like mine, large and beautifully aligned, but it's clear he won't have room for them all (he's only got 8 permanents and they're already crowded). He's headed for braces when he has more permanents--we've already had a consultation with an orthodontist that I'd highly recommend if you lived in my area

Anyway, it could be one or the other or both. I'd ask around, we went to the person that my friends recommended but also noted (before I asked) that this ortho doesn't recommend them uniformly, and then check it out.

I've totally hurt myself with my grinding and clenching. I have terrible TMJ.

[DariusMom]

I'm a teeth grinder as is my mother. We both have night guards. They were expensive, but so worth it. My jaws feel much better and I'm not wearing down my teeth at the same rate that I was.

Our dentist says there is a strong genetic element and that it isn't always related to stress, though it can be exacerbated by stress.

Have you googled "bruxism"?

[cutekid]

My DS is three and he grinds his teeth sometimes. I asked the dentist and she said it was a common complaint with parents of pre schoolers. She said that its very common for them "out grow" this behavior. She said if it continued as he got older to have his jaw checked out. She was un willing to dive deep into the conversation about it at his age though.

[Koalamom]

I teeth grind, and the only thing that helped was homeopathy, and doing yoga before bed. I did not want to wear a guard.

[nancy926]

Grinding is pretty common in 3- and 4-year-olds - my DD did it so much that we asked her dentist about it. He said it was normal in kids that age and said she'd stop soon, and she did.