My child is grinding his teeth: Should I be worried?
Between 20 and 30% of Spanish children suffer from childhood bruxism. Clenching and grinding your teeth is usually a bad sign.
Bruxism, or the act of clenching your teeth, whether during the day or at night, has become a problem that, in the case of adults, we must treat at the first sign of alarm.
However, when it happens in childhood we can consider it a natural process to a certain extent… If our child grinds his teeth, at what point should we start to worry?
Although bruxism can appear at any age, it is a frequent phenomenon during childhood, usually from the age of 4.
10% of children under 7 years of age suffer from it; a percentage that increases to 30% between the ages of 7 and 11.
At these ages, bruxism is not usually considered a disease, but rather a natural process that stimulates muscle and bone formation in the face and helps with tooth development.
Generally, this dental pressure gradually disappears with the appearance of permanent teeth.
Should childhood bruxism be treated?
In principle, no treatment is necessary.
However, if bruxism persists during adolescence, it is highly recommended to go to the dentist as it could cause a series of problems, such as pain and inflammation of the jaw, headaches and earaches, and wear and tear on the teeth.
The dentist or orthodontist will assess whether it is necessary to treat it and, if so, the treatment will depend on each patient.
Normally, if the child is very small, a type of resin plate (splint) can be placed that covers the upper teeth and prevents them from wearing down when pressing or grinding, in addition to better distributing the pressure between all the teeth and muscles of the mouth.
Why is my child grinding his teeth?
As is the case with adults, childhood bruxism can be caused by a set of physical and psychological causes.
Among the first, we have the loss of baby teeth and the appearance of permanent teeth, or a bad bite that prevents the jaw from closing properly (malocclusion).
The latter case is usually solved with orthodontic or dentofacial orthopedic treatments.
Among the psychological causes we find all those disorders or situations that trigger anxiety, nervousness or stress, such as hyperactivity, habits such as biting nails or changes in the child’s life (moving, entering kindergarten, separation from parents, etc.).
It is important to avoid or minimize these situations. + info: Bruxism treatment