Help!! My Kids Grind Their Teeth at Night!!

Hi G.,

There is a web site that offers help:

www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/teeth-grind....

Hope this helps. D.

Hi G.!

I don't necessarily grind my teeth but I do clench them. My dentist made me a night guard to wear when I sleep so I clench the guard rather than my teeth. I know they are still little and growing but perhaps they can get night guards so they grind on the guard instead of their teeth which should significantly reduce the noise.

Good luck!

Something relaxing before bed like peppermin tea, or camomile tea?
Giving them magnesium citrate is relaxing too!
Make sure pre-bedtime atmosphere is peaceful with a warm bath and snuggle time works great!!
God Bless!

A VERY, VERY common cause of grinding teeth at night is that they may have pinworms. The mother worm craawls out the childs anal opening and lays eggs along with a liquid that when it dries up gets very itchy. I would have them go to sleep with a piece of tape or saran wrap on their anal opening and then take the tape or saran wrap to your doctor to have them check for the eggs.

It's a simple medication that they take everyday for a prescribed amount of time and you have to keep their sheets changed often during that time but it's such a common problem that it's definitely worth checking out.

Good luck.

Get them mouth guards, I've been grinding my teeth for 25 years, and eventually it does wear down the enamel. It can also put strain on the joints in the jaw and could lead to permanant damage. I know they sell sleep guards in most stores, or you could ask your dentist about having them custom made, but since they're so young it might be better to start with the cheap ones.

I think your only solution is to get plates they can wear at night. I find it hard to believe there is little or no damage. I might get a second opinion on that. Might also cause TMJ after awhile which is painful (http://www.naturaltmjrelief.com/what-is-tmj.htm). if it's just a physical habit (like my 4 yr old and thumb sucking!) maybe the plates would take care of that.

Good luck! -S. K

ask their dentist for a dental guard. he says there is no damage NOW, but there can be in the future, so why wait to protect. i am not sure if you can get a guard otc or online...

You don't have to get a dental guard from your dentist. You can purchase them from CVS, Wal Mart, or Wal Greens for the night guards.

WHen I was youger I did the same thing and my dentist told my mother it was bad on their teethbecause it grinds away at the enamel (which, of course, will lead to worse thigs down the road). He advised my mother to get me one of those sports mouth guards to wear when I went to bed. Even though it may find its way out of my mouth in the middle of the night, I eventually out grew it and my teeth are PERFECT (no cavities - knock on wood). Hope this helps. It's cheap and easy to do - not sure how your 5 y/o may fair with it though - good luck.

Teeth grinding maybe a sign of stress. Many children don't know how to express how they are feeling. I see that your children are very active. This may have something to do with their teeth grinding.

Find you another dentist. There is something they can do. There are mouth guards that they give people who grind their teeth. There are even mouth guards for children who suck their fingers. I personally have an issue with sucking my tongue and my orthrodontist gave me a mouth guard to control my tongue muscle, so that my tongue will not push against my top teeth. I know for audults you can buy the month guard for grinding teeth right out of CVS. I'm not sure if they sale them for children. Talk with an orthrodontist. I'm sure they have something for them.

I wonder if they will need NightGuards when they are older? As long as their teeth aren't being hurt and you are just looking to cover the sound, how about turning a fan on during the summer and a humidifier during the winter? There are also machines specifically for creating pleasant sounds, like waves crashing at the ocean.