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It is not known for certain why some childrenstart grinding their teeth and some children don't. There are many theories tosuggest that it could be down to the fact that the sets of top and bottom teethdo not fit together comfortably due to the fact that children's teeth and jawsgrow in phases leading to unpleasant sensations in the area. The naturalresponse of the child is to grind their teeth to soothe themselves which oftenlater develops into a habit. It has also been shown that both children andadults grind their teeth when they feel anxious in some way, or even as aresponse to facial pain such as an earache or teething. It has also been shownthat hyperactive children have developed bruxism.
More recent research has suggested that sleep disturbances may be a cause forbruxism in children as well as causing a number of other problems such asbed-wetting, drooling and sleep-talking. Interruptions in the rapid eye movement(REM) patterns due to dehydration during sleep can be the underlying cause ofmany of these problems, though your dentist will be able to advise you more onthis matter.
Whatare the effects?
Children do not usuallyexperience ill effects from grinding their teeth. Even when their milk teethshow wear it usually does not cause any pain or damage, yet if this wear getssevere, or if your child has already lost their milk teeth, then it isadvisable to seek treatment from your dentist as dental problems such as toothinfections can occur. In most cases of teeth grinding in children they willusually outgrow the problem.
Whatcan be done to help?
Whilst the problems will mostlikely go away you may want to try some methods to help the child stop grindingtheir teeth in the meantime. Your dentist would be the best source of advice,and will be able to make sure that there are no problems regarding thealignment of the child's teeth.
The most common remedy recommendation is usuallya mouth guard. Wearing a mouth guard at night will prevent the child fromgrinding their teeth and night, and has a very high success rate in reducingthe habit. However, your child may feel uncomfortable wearing a mouth guard andfor this reason it is wise to look into other treatment options. In many caseshypnosis has been shown a successful way to get people of all ages out of thehabit of grinding teeth.
In children whose grinding appears to be down to stress or anxiety it isextremely important to discover the underlying cause for these feelings. Tryways to relax your child before they go to sleep, such as a warm bath and amassage of the jaw. These methods will help to ensure that your child has adeep, relaxing and uninterrupted sleep.
The most important thing is that you needn't be alarmed by a child's grindingas it is extremely common. If your child already has their adult teeth then itis more of a worry, though there are many options available so seek advice fromyour dentist.