When we think of a sleeping child we picture a peaceful face and soft easy breathing. We don’t picture a loud sound of gashing and grinding teeth. When my daughter was younger and I hear her grind through the closed door at night I was concern that she will break her teeth. Fortunately her teeth survived and can understand your concerns.
Many parents are worried about their kids grinding.
What exactly is teeth grinding? It is simply rubbing of the teeth together, driven by a muscle force in some cases stronger than what we use for chewing.
Teeth grinding, or “bruxism,” is actually a very common habit among children especially under the age of 14. It is more common in children than adults actually.
However, unless it causes problems, like pain, severe tooth wearing or sleep difficulties, kids are rarely treated for it.
What is the cause for Bruxism?
Teeth related: Teeth are in different stage or teeth development and not in good alignment. Grinding is the natural process to even up or align the bite. Very important factor is the stage of eruption of the permanent canines. Canines are the long and pointy teeth; they appeared in full length around 13-14 years of age to create one of the pillars of the bite. They work as natural jaw stoppers for grinding.
Oxygen deficiency: Other theories suggested that there is connection between grinding at night and not enough Oxygen intakes due to airway obstruction:
- Enlarged tonsils. Removing the tonsils and adenoids has been shown to lessen teeth grinding in some children.
- Upper airway obstruction known as obstructive sleep apnea is when the tongue fall backwards and blocks the airway. Sleeping on the side is recommended in these cases.
Asthma and respiratory airway infections may also be factors in teeth grinding
Pain: such as from an earache. Kids might grind their teeth as a way to ease the pain, just the way we rub a sore muscle.
Stress and anxiety: All the causes are not completely understood, though psychological stress, anger, nervous tension appears to play an important role in daily clenching and nightly grinding.
Some medications, such as the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, amphetamines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may contribute to grinding habits.
Genetic. Grinding has been found to run in the family.
Treatment for Bruxism
Because children generally outgrow the condition, treatment is not usually recommended — unless the habit is causing troubling signs and/or symptoms, as well as excessive tooth wear.
Approach depends on the damage caused. Severe teeth wearing may require bonding or crowns. A flexible thin night guard may be placed. Night guard is a most common solution for adult but difficult to apply for kids due to the constantly changing situation in the mouth.
Children with upper airway obstruction are best to be seen for additional diagnostic by their pediatrician or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist.
Next time your hear the troubling sound, stay calm and remind yourself that majority of the time the habit of teeth grinding in kids is usually harmless.