Kids have a different set of responsibilities when it comes to taking care of their bodies. However, as they age and grow, health risks may be one of the typical issues they may face. One common dental problem that parents may see is how your child grinds teeth at night. Professional dentists suggest that teeth grinding or bruxism for children will go away once they enter their teenage years. Yet, many dentistry experts say that the first symptom of dental health problems appears for infants and babies. Additionally, dentists advise that as soon as babies have their primary teeth, they must visit a pediatric dentist right away. Early dental check ups can prevent and detect dental caries in children as well as teeth grinding (bruxism) and other issues. 

What Are Some Of The Reasons For Teeth Grinding?

Can your child that grinds teeth at night recover quickly? Certainly. As long as a parent teaches the importance of dental hygiene for their overall health. Children that grind their teeth more often can have serious dental diseases. It may cause tooth pain and jaw clenching, as well as snoring and mouth cancer. Although the latter disorders are more common in adults, it may be useful to stop the teeth grinding by knowing the source of common teeth grinding (bruxism). 

First Set Of Baby Teeth

Can a baby without a single appearance of teeth experience dental problems? Dental researchers have many pieces of evidence about the significant difficulties of gum diseases in babies and infants. On the other hand, a baby can experience teeth grinding while sleeping. Their first set of baby teeth may irritate the nerves, and movement is its side effect. 

Malocclusion Or Improper Tooth Alignment

Does your child’s oral care professional mention the word malocclusion frequently? That means, your child has crowded teeth that makes their teeth alignment complicated. Crowded teeth can make their gums sensitive to germs and bacteria. An early treatment such as having braces, retainers, or other orthodontics may prevent your child from having periodontitis.

Cavities And Plaque

Food debris left in a baby’s or toddler’s teeth and gums can cause bacterial infection to spread. These sticky white substances are cavities and plaque that attack their tooth. If left untreated, it can also attack the cells in the bloodstream that causes children to grind their teeth (bruxism) more often. Toddlers may need supervision from their parents to brush their teeth properly. Many kids are into sweets and food that are hard to wash away just by rinsing. 

Stress And Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are commonly the main reasons for teeth grinding or bruxism in children. Pediatric dentistry specialists and psychologists see the pattern of children that grind their teeth when they are under pressure from stress and anxiety. The anxiety and stress occur due to family. Besides, dental anxiety is also a contributing factor that disrupts toddlers’ sleep. They may throw tantrums when visiting a dental clinic for the follow up on your toddler. As a parent, it is great to consult a pediatric clinic to know the real sources of distress that young children are experiencing. 

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Oral Health diseases and illnesses can either be medical or physical. However, when it comes to both issues like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) can be challenging to treat. A child with TMJD may suffer from jaw pain and clenching more often as their jaws are misaligned. Jaw pain, underbite, or overbite may disrupt a child’s sleep and can make bruxism even worse. Grinding can also make matters worst when it fractures the bones and teeth more often at night. The excellent news about TMJD is that it is rare to acquire them through birth disabilities. Hence, a parent should always protect their kids’ teeth using a dental guard or a night guard.

Is it Risky That A Child Grinds Teeth Often?

Dental health complications for children are either rare or very uncommon. Nevertheless, it is a possibility for a child that grinds teeth during any time of the day to experience severe health risks. How is it risky that a child grinds teeth? Most of the side effects of bruxism or teeth grinding show as a chipped tooth, bleeding gums, severe headache, and fatigue. Especially if your child can’t stay asleep, it may lead to sleep apnea or several sleeping disorders. Just like adults have insomnia, children may also get chronic fatigue, and their bodies will not adjust without immediate dental treatment. Support your child’s health by ensuring that a pediatric dentist can eliminate the signs and symptoms of cavities, plaque, and even crowded teeth (malocclusion) in its early stages. 

How Can Parents Prevent Bruxism?

If a parent wants to worry less about oral health, such as how children grind their teeth, there are many ways to relieve this grinding problem. However, a child may need an initial consultation before their treatment. Help your child eliminate grinding of their teeth by going to the appropriate special care medical doctor or dentist with specializations. 

Dental Treatment Through Orthodontics

Currently, dentistry specialization for oral bone structure issues is manageable through orthodontics. A night guard is essential not just for adults but even for children. Orthodontists can help a child by providing a mouth guard that they can wear, which separates their teeth. It will prevent the grinding effect from happening. Furthermore, the appliance can help breathing and sleeping disorders and may treat sleep apnea or snoring habit. 

Mental And Physical Therapy

Since there are enough research cases and evidence for dental anxiety in children, it can be a better treatment for them to do mental and physical therapy. Stress management is one way for children to cope with the anxiety and pressure of their surroundings. Moreover, orthopedic, dental doctors can provide physical therapy through sessions of relaxation techniques. 

Prescription Medicine For Pain Relief 

Pain relievers should be taken according to their child’s dosage. It can help relieve the symptoms but not treat the grinding issue. Speak with your primary care dentist for further instructions on the appropriate pain relief for your child’s grinding condition.