Teeth Grinding Habit in Kids

Teeth grinding habit should be spotted early to prevent damage to the teeth and gums of the kid. Find out more about the habit of grinding teeth right here. Teeth grinding is referred to as bruxism in clinical terms. It is a common incidence in kids as well as in adults. There have been numerous studies in determining the exact cause behind this condition. But there has been no scientific evidence so far that could be linked to a certain cause or factor with bruxism. Rather, there are wide arrays of factors that complement each other in resulting in this condition. And this condition is found to increase during the night. Apart from being a behavioural problem, this condition of bruxsim can cause serious damage to the teeth and gums of the kid. So once you notice symptoms of grinding teeth in your kid, it is advisable to consult a physician immediately so that you help the child come out of this habit and protect his teeth from further decay in the future apart from warding off a lifelong problematic habit. In this articleSymptoms of Teeth Grinding HabitCauses of Teeth Grinding Habit (Bruxism)Suppressed Discontentment or AngerImproper Alignment of TeethReaction to MedicationHyperactivitySymptoms of Teeth Grinding Habit You can spot whether the kid is developing this habit of grinding teeth, if notice any of the following symptoms: There is a grinding noise when the child is asleep.The edges of the teeth appear flattened, chipped off or worn out.There are signs of indentations on his tongue.Even if the child does not make a noise at night, that is, he might be grinding his teeth while awake and you have failed to notice the same. Check if the child complains of tight jaw muscles or simply complains of pain in his jaws, gums, teeth or simply in his cheeks. If there is frequent pain in the ears.If the child has too sensitive teeth, that is, he reacts sharply and shows discomfort to warm or cold food items. Causes of Teeth Grinding Habit (Bruxism) As mentioned earlier, there are no direct causes found to be responsible behind this condition. But studies indicate that there can be an assortment of factors that can lead or act as trigger to this condition, like: Suppressed Discontentment or Anger It has been found that if the kid is not happy with something and is holding a grudge against anything, he is more prone to develop this condition. Stress and anxiety, distress and frustration are another trigger aspects. It is the build-up of tension that results in bruxsim. Improper Alignment of Teeth If the teeth of your kid are not properly aligned, it is observed that the tendency to grind teeth develops readily in those kids. They basically try to align their teeth unconsciously while asleep as the irregular alignment causes a discomfort. Reaction to Medication If the child is prescribed with certain medicines under the category of antidepressants, he is quite likely to pronounce symptoms of bruxism. Hyperactivity There are kids who have very high levels of energy. Hyperactive kids are also found to grind their teeth while asleep; this is more of a mark of release of extra energy. Finally, how do you deal with this condition? Since there is no particular factor that can be identified as a cause behind bruxism, there is not a predetermined stipulated cure as well. In most children, it is noticed that the habit of grinding teeth fades away with age. Basically, if it has been triggered by an emotional factor, the habit goes away, when the kid is at peace with himself, or when the cause is removed. Therefore, it is more important for parents to take note of the emotional environment that they are providing for their kids. Clinically, doctors suggest the use of various dental implements like mouth guards so as to prevent the grinding of teeth. Teaching the kid on how to keep their tongue inside their set of teeth also helps in resolving the issue in many cases.

Teeth grinding habit should be spotted early to prevent damage to the teeth and gums of the kid. Find out more about the habit of grinding teeth right here.

Teeth grinding is referred to as bruxism in clinical terms. It is a common incidence in kids as well as in adults. There have been numerous studies in determining the exact cause behind this condition. But there has been no scientific evidence so far that could be linked to a certain cause or factor with bruxism. Rather, there are wide arrays of factors that complement each other in resulting in this condition. And this condition is found to increase during the night.

Apart from being a behavioural problem, this condition of bruxsim can cause serious damage to the teeth and gums of the kid. So once you notice symptoms of grinding teeth in your kid, it is advisable to consult a physician immediately so that you help the child come out of this habit and protect his teeth from further decay in the future apart from warding off a lifelong problematic habit.

Symptoms of Teeth Grinding Habit

You can spot whether the kid is developing this habit of grinding teeth, if notice any of the following symptoms:

• There is a grinding noise when the child is asleep.
• The edges of the teeth appear flattened, chipped off or worn out.
• There are signs of indentations on his tongue.
• Even if the child does not make a noise at night, that is, he might be grinding his teeth while awake and you have failed to notice the same. Check if the child complains of tight jaw muscles or simply complains of pain in his jaws, gums, teeth or simply in his cheeks.
• If there is frequent pain in the ears.
• If the child has too sensitive teeth, that is, he reacts sharply and shows discomfort to warm or cold food items.

Causes of Teeth Grinding Habit (Bruxism)

As mentioned earlier, there are no direct causes found to be responsible behind this condition. But studies indicate that there can be an assortment of factors that can lead or act as trigger to this condition, like:

Suppressed Discontentment or Anger

It has been found that if the kid is not happy with something and is holding a grudge against anything, he is more prone to develop this condition. Stress and anxiety, distress and frustration are another trigger aspects. It is the build-up of tension that results in bruxsim.

Improper Alignment of Teeth

If the teeth of your kid are not properly aligned, it is observed that the tendency to grind teeth develops readily in those kids. They basically try to align their teeth unconsciously while asleep as the irregular alignment causes a discomfort.

Reaction to Medication

If the child is prescribed with certain medicines under the category of antidepressants, he is quite likely to pronounce symptoms of bruxism.

Hyperactivity

There are kids who have very high levels of energy. Hyperactive kids are also found to grind their teeth while asleep; this is more of a mark of release of extra energy.

Finally, how do you deal with this condition? Since there is no particular factor that can be identified as a cause behind bruxism, there is not a predetermined stipulated cure as well. In most children, it is noticed that the habit of grinding teeth fades away with age. Basically, if it has been triggered by an emotional factor, the habit goes away, when the kid is at peace with himself, or when the cause is removed. Therefore, it is more important for parents to take note of the emotional environment that they are providing for their kids.

Clinically, doctors suggest the use of various dental implements like mouth guards so as to prevent the grinding of teeth. Teaching the kid on how to keep their tongue inside their set of teeth also helps in resolving the issue in many cases.