Here at Tualatin Pediatric Dentistry, we are dedicated to helping our young patients who grind their teeth.
Teeth grinding is also called bruxism. Though many children grind their teeth occasionally, some grind their teeth on a regular basis. Over time, this can damage your child’s teeth and cause many other dental problems.
Children who grind their teeth usually do so when they are sleeping. Dental problems like an abnormal bite or missing teeth can cause the grinding. Teeth grinding is often seen in patients who suffer from sleep apnea as well. Stress and anxiety can also cause teeth grinding, both during the day and at night.
Since most people grind their teeth at night, they might not even realize they do it. However, waking up often with a headache or a sore jaw may be a sign of bruxism.
Teeth grinding can cause a lot of problems. Your child could loosen his or her teeth to the point of losing them completely. Your child could also break a tooth or several teeth. Chronic grinding will wear your child’s teeth down until there is barely much left of them. Chronic grinding can really hurt your child’s jaw and change the appearance of his or her face.
The easiest way to fix teeth grinding is by wearing a mouthguard at night. However, if the grinding is caused by stress, you will need to find ways to reduce your child’s stress.
Caffeine can make teeth grinding worse, so you may want to cut back on your child’s consumption of soft drinks and chocolate. Avoiding giving your child sweetened liquids like soda and sugary snacks like chocolate will also help prevent cavities.
If you have any questions about bruxism, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (503) 692-3747.