Parents are often concerned about the nocturnal grinding of teeth (bruxism). The first indication is the noise created by the child grinding on their teeth during sleep. Another is that the parent may notice wear (teeth getting shorter) to the dentition.
One theory as to the cause involves a psychological component. Stress due to a new environment, divorce, changes at school, etc. can influence a child to grind their teeth. Another theory relates to pressure in the inner ear at night. If there are pressure changes as in an airplane during take-off and landing when people may chew gum to equalize pressure, the child will grind by moving his jaw to relieve this pressure.
The majority of cases of pediatric bruxism do not require any treatment. If excessive wear of the teeth (attrition) is present, then a mouth guard (night guard) may be indicated. The negatives to a mouth guard are the possibility of choking if the appliance becomes dislodged during sleep. It may also interfere with growth of the jaws. The positive is the prevention of wear to the primary dentition.
The good news is most children outgrow bruxism. The grinding gets less between the ages 6-9 and children tend to stop grinding between ages 9-12. If you suspect bruxism, contact Holdbrook Pediatric Dental for more information.
