Teeth grinding in sleep in children is very common. Normally, it’s not a cause of an alarm, and children outgrow it by the age of 6 years.
Teeth grinding is identified by loud grating noise and your child might complain of waking up with pain in the teeth, gums or cheeks. Teeth grinding in sleep or clenching teeth while sleeping, also called Sleep Bruxism, involves any type of forceful contact between the teeth. It can be silent and clenching, squeaking or loud and grating.
However, if the tech grinding in children continues even after the age of 6 years, this can be an indication of something that needs your attention more than the dentist.
What causes teeth grinding in sleep?
Teeth grinding in sleep can have multiple contributing factors. Apart from the dental reasons mentioned above, stress and anxiety can also be one of the leading factors.
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While teeth clenching can happen anytime during the day while concentrating or under stress, grinding mostly happens in sleep due to the same reasons. Most children and also adults who grind their teeth and clench their jaws are not aware they’re doing it.
What to do if your child is teeth grinding in sleep?
It can be challenging to find the right reasons behind your child grinding her teeth. If your dentist has ruled out the dental reasons then it’s definitely a good idea to probe the probable reasons.
1. Talk to your child: Have an open heart talk with your child. Try to find if there is anything or anyone in school or daycare that’s troubling her.
2. Keep a check on the sleeping routine: Make sure your child has a fixed sleeping routine. An irregular sleep pattern can make them unsettled and won’t give them enough time to recuperate from a day full of being active and playful.
3. Look for the source: Situations like thinking about upcoming exams or a problem with a teacher or a playground bully can build stress in the mind of your child resulting in stress and anxiety that can be the reason behind grind their teeth at night. Talk to her to find out what’s bothering her and help her find a solution to the problem.
4. Establish a relaxation routine: Help your child develop a relaxing pre-bedtime routine. Having some family time before bedtime, a warm shower, relaxing music, deep breathing, meditation or reading a peaceful book may help your child fall asleep in a more relaxed way.
5. See a dentist: It’s always a good idea to have your child’s teeth checked up by the dentist (or a pedodontist) to determine if bruxism is affecting her teeth. The dentist may recommend a specially fitted mouth guard for protecting teeth and gums from the damage caused by clenching or grinding teeth at night.
Bottom line…
Teeth grinding in sleep is a common condition in children with many possible causes ranging from dental to behavioural. However, there are is established research that links behavioural problems with teeth grinding.
Diagnosing and treating it early is important to avoid significant dental damage in future. Your child’s dentist and doctor are both good resources for diagnosing and treating teeth grinding at night.
Also read
Lead by Example – Confident Parents Raise Confident Kids
Parenting in Pandemic And Communication With Children
Importance of Positive Parent-Child Relationship
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