Bruxism is the medical term for grinding and clenching your teeth. It is generally an unconscious issue, but it can lead to serious problems with your teeth. Although statistical reports range widely, Arizona Family Dental approximates that 1 in 3 people grind their teeth. However, when you break down these statistics, only about 3% of elderly populations grind their teeth, while closer to 15% of children tend to. Here are a few tips to help your child stop grinding their teeth.
Understanding Bruxism
Bruxism occurs in two general forms: awake bruxism occurs while you’re awake, and sleep bruxism while you’re asleep. They key difference in these tends to be the root cause. Awake bruxism is generally a result of anxiety or stress and often used as a coping mechanism (like biting your nails when you’re nervous). Sleep bruxism can be because of this, but also a host of other possibilities. Key among these potential causal factors amongst children are a misalignment of the gums (called malocclusion), earaches or infections, teething, and ADHD or amphetamine-based ADHD medication. The latter three are more common amongst youngsters, and may account for the increased affected percentage of children opposed to older adults.
Additionally, grinding your teeth in your sleep is considered a sleep-related movement disorder, frequently occurring in tandem with other sleep disorders, such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. Children may also grind their teeth because they like to grind their teeth. They may enjoy the noise, attention, or sensation is brings, and eventually this results in the formation of a habit.
Anatomical Interventions
Based on the given statistics, it is easy to see that bruxism tends to disappear with age. In many cases, as adult teeth come in, the childhood gnashing and clenching of teeth slowly goes away. Because of this, your dentist may not worry much about the grinding. If it doesn’t seem to be lessening, your child may need dental intervention.
If they have a misaligned bite, early intervention may be more effective, and prevent the grinding from becoming an adult habit that ruins adult teeth. If this is the case, your dentist may provide an occlusal splint, customized to fit your child’s mouth and particular misalignment problems. Night guards can also be procured over the counter, boiled, and molded to the mouth to protect the teeth.
Managing Bruxism
One of the key aspects to getting your child to stop grinding their teeth is to call it to their attention. In this way, you can begin behavior modifications. If your child seems stressed or is of a naturally more high-strung nature, helping them learn to find ways to relax may help to reduce the compulsion to grind their teeth. This might mean more one-on-one time to find out what’s going on, or talking about stressors you know to be occurring -- such as a new school, a divorce, or other big changes. For generally excitable children, try finding ways to relax before bedtime for sleep bruxism. Have your child take a warm bath, read a book together, or learn breathing exercises for a mini-meditation. If you are very concerned about the underlying issues that are leading to bruxism, talk to your child’s doctor or counselor about what steps to take.
