children grinding teeth

What Should Be Done About Bruxism (Children Grinding Teeth)

Child Care

What is the cause of children grinding teeth? What type of damage can happen to teeth and overall oral health when children grind their teeth? This article will talk about the disorder that makes people grind their teeth, and what to do when you notice a loved one grinding their teeth. If you have a child who does teeth grinding, you can seek treatment at this Cabramatta dental clinic, they have a gentle approach with children.

What causes teeth grinding?

Bruxism is the name of the disorder that makes teeth grind their teeth as they sleep. This is a fairly common disorder that affects around 3 out of 10 children. While there is no direct cause listed for this type of condition, experts notice that children who have bruxism usually grind their teeth when they are under stress. Stress or anger in a child can be enough to cause them to grind their teeth or clench their jaws.

In some cases, children grind their teeth as a response to a certain type of pain. For example, if the child has a toothache or earache, or is teething, they would grind their teeth to help alleviate the pain. In other cases, children grind their teeth because their top teeth and bottom teeth are misaligned.

What happens if bruxism goes untreated?

Most of the time, children outgrow their tooth-grinding. However, if this tooth-grinding disorder goes untreated until adulthood, it can have severe adverse effects on a person’s teeth and overall oral health. The person can suffer from toothaches because their teeth will be ground to a point where the nerves and other sensitive parts of the tooth are exposed.

Also, it can cause damage to the gums and jaw, if the grinding is frequent and intense. This will cause gum issues and more discomfort for the patient.

Treatment for bruxism

Luckily, there are treatment options available for people with bruxism.

Bruxism mouth guards

There are special mouthguards that are designed to protect a person’s teeth from the grinding. These mouth guards should be worn at night as the person sleeps. They are positioned on top of the top and bottom teeth to make sure that they do not get damaged. The mouth guard will act as a cushion between the two sets of teeth.

Therapy

If the tooth-grinding is caused by stress or anger, the child could undergo therapy to better enable them to handle stressful situations. Therapy will help put their minds at a more relaxed state before sleeping, helping them to avoid grinding their teeth when they sleep.

Final thoughts

If you notice your children grinding teeth as they sleep, take them to see a doctor. Bruxism is a treatable disorder. You should take them to a doctor right away to get treatment. Also, a dentist will be able to tell you if any damage has been sustained on the teeth of your children, and they will tell you how to prevent their teeth from sustaining further damage in the long run. 

 

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