my three year old grinds his teeth, clenching his jaws all day! He has been doing it since he got teeth, but it seems more frequent right now. I worry about him.. He does it when he jumps around, gets excited, or does physical activity etc. I can hear them grinding and see his jaws tighten up. Does anyone know why he does this or how to stop it?
Thank you so much for everyone's advice. I have been compressing him with pillows and trying to give him more hot baths with a massage afterwards. I think that this is helping. I will get him to see a craniosacral therapist soon. He had a session right after his birth because it was 58 hours long, and his head was so pointy from the posterior position. He hasn't had a session since then. He has all of his teeth already so it is not molars.
thank you!
I am the same problem with my 2 years old boy. He clenching his jaws started 4 months ago and now getting more frequent.
What I do is just remain him not to do it. It seems work for a while but he will do it again.
My son did that when his teeth came in as well. Since I am an occupational therapist and deal with sensory processing disorders, I created a "sensory diet" where he would get proprioceptive input in other ways. I set up two pillow piles 10 feet apart (but other distances would work too) and my son runs, or crawls on hands and knees, back and forth between them crashing into the pillow pits. I then grab another pillow and "sandwich" him in and gently compress his body. I chase him, tackle him and get silly! He loves it!
He stopped grinding his teeth within 2 mos. Hope that helps and good luck! If it goes on any longer, ask your pediatric dentist or doctor for some advice.
Gringind teeth helps release the neurochemicals that support proprioceptive function. Proprioception helps give our body awareness of where it is in space (without another sense giving help like; sight or sound). MOst people are familiar with our 5 senses, but actually we have 7. THe other two are proprioception and the vestibular system.
Proprioception is also relaxing to the body. So when your kid is moving around, his body gets overly excited and he finds a self- regulatory strategy to calm him.
If they do it in their sleep, oftentimes it's because they might need their adenoids and tonsils out (they are trying to breathe better-See an Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor or dentist). If it's during the day, it's probably a nervous habit, or stress. He will probably outgrow it, but mention it to his dentist so he can check for the teeth being worn down.
I would advise you to have him checked by a very experienced Osteopath or even a very qualified Cranial-Sacral Therapist. His birth may have been a factor. Often babies do need a bit of help with the cranium. Don't let it go. If you follow up as I have suggested and don't find it. Keep going. It's important.
I know they grind their teeth a lot when they are teething. Could he be getting his 3-year molars?
I do the same thing, and so does my daughter- I didn't notice it until I was in advanced swimming, and after swimming a bunch of laps my jaw hurt! I have noticed that it gets worse when I am stressed out or overstimulated, but I have also noticed that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason (at least that I can figure out) as to why my daughter does it, although she is generally a pretty intense child and that probably contributes. The good news is that it has caused no damage to my teeth because I don't grind back and forth so much as clench. However, it does cause headaches. I would recommend talking to his dentist, though.
Hi, my daughter used to do the same and as my husband also grinds his teeth I was a little worried. My dentist and doctor assured me that this is common when the jaw is still growing and that she would probably grow out of it. I am thankful to say my now 7yr old rarely grinds her teeth anymore so I think they are right! (I could hear her in the night from a room away!)
hey there,
i took my daughter to a lynne oyama in santa monica for cranio sacral work and it worked really well.
Perhaps your son's nervous system has tension on it. Have you ever considered letting a Chiropractor who works w/children take a look at him? Often children have more nervous tension than adults and that tension can be displaced to the TMJ joint b/c it has many many nerve innervations. I treat children w/ Cranio Sacral and other techniques successfully.
