Do you need to stop teeth grinding in small children and will there be any permanent damage? When a child is young, many things are changing rapidly in their bodies. This includes teeth that are growing and breaking through the skin that can be very annoying. If your small child grinds their teeth at night, it is nothing to be alarmed about as it is quite common. Once the teeth are in place and the child is a little older, the problem often naturally goes away as there is less irritation during the night.
What age then, should a parent become worried that this is a real problem if the child doesnt naturally stop? Grinding your teeth will wear down the enamel and do damage so it is important to try to stop this habit in a child if it persists past the point where there is a legitimate reason for it.
In the case of small kids, your pediatrician should be a good source of answers for things like teeth grinding as it is somewhat common in children. There is no specific cure for bruxism but you doctor may have and idea or suggestion of something you can do to try to stop the problem. However, as every child is different, there is no guarantee that what he suggests will work.
Most adults that have bruxism are told they may have it by their dentists who notice the loss of enamel and the wear on the top of their teeth from years of grinding. A habit like grinding teeth may not show up for years in an adult because the teeth are pretty strong and it may have to be a spouse that hears the grinding at night for you to know about it. If a spouse doesnt notice it then eventually a dentist will when the signs of grinding become more visible.
With children though, there might not be any wear at all because there might not have been enough time for any evidence of the grinding to show up. It is usually the parents who know there is a problem after they hear their child grinding when they fall asleep at night. If you suspect your child suffers from bruxism it is suggested that you talk to your doctor right away so that something can be figured out before the problem really becomes a problem.
What age then, should a parent become worried that this is a real problem if the child doesnt naturally stop? Grinding your teeth will wear down the enamel and do damage so it is important to try to stop this habit in a child if it persists past the point where there is a legitimate reason for it.
In the case of small kids, your pediatrician should be a good source of answers for things like teeth grinding as it is somewhat common in children. There is no specific cure for bruxism but you doctor may have and idea or suggestion of something you can do to try to stop the problem. However, as every child is different, there is no guarantee that what he suggests will work.
Most adults that have bruxism are told they may have it by their dentists who notice the loss of enamel and the wear on the top of their teeth from years of grinding. A habit like grinding teeth may not show up for years in an adult because the teeth are pretty strong and it may have to be a spouse that hears the grinding at night for you to know about it. If a spouse doesnt notice it then eventually a dentist will when the signs of grinding become more visible.
With children though, there might not be any wear at all because there might not have been enough time for any evidence of the grinding to show up. It is usually the parents who know there is a problem after they hear their child grinding when they fall asleep at night. If you suspect your child suffers from bruxism it is suggested that you talk to your doctor right away so that something can be figured out before the problem really becomes a problem.
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