I have a 6 year old son. He grinds his teeth every single night while sleeping. His next dentist appt. is next week but when I mentioned it they seemed to think he was too young to do anything about it. Have any of you had this happen with your child? If so do you have any information for me? Thanks.
I also have a 6 year old son who grinds his teeth. I was really worried about it, and brought it up to my dentist. The dentist said that it is not a big deal. He said that it is probably more annoying for me than it is for him. Hope this helps you :)
M.,
My 8 year old daughter used to do the same thing...and it seemed about the worst when she was around 5 or 6. My dentist told me the same thing - don't worry about it, that it's actually pretty common in children and the vast majority of them outgrow it. And she pretty much has! So, I guess my advice would be to relax a bit (easier said than done!) and just keep an eye on it. Of course, if it continues with the same intensity as it does now, then bring it up again at his next appointment.
Good luck!
J.
Well, I am 27, and I still grind my teeth. I have as long as I can remember. So I have a bite guard I wear at night. It kind of looks like a football mouth piece. VERY SEXY! But it does the trick. The thing about grinding is it can irritate TMJ...which I have. So if you can nip it in the bud now, it would be good. Guards aren't cheap but I think most dental insurance covers it. Especially for a child. And he would jus have to wear it at night. It doesn't even bother me anymore. It has become as much of my routine as brushing my teeth. I hope that helps.
have you tried to get him to wear a mouth guard to bed? i heard that that will prevent any damage. you can get one almost anywhere they sell sporting equiptment. hope that helps you.
We also have this problem with our 5 yr old daughter. It actually isn't that bad though. We're just waiting to see if she will possibly grow out of it because she doesn't do it that often. My husband showed me a mouth gaurd that they sell in Wal-Mart for teeth grinding. That was our next step if she got any worse. Let me know how it works if you haven't already tried it.
S. S
My husband grinds his teeth at night. It bothered me so much let alone it was terrible for his teeth. We talked to the dentist and they make mouthguards for it. It's kinda like a shield you wear over your teeth when you go to bed. Now the dentist will make one formed directly for your sons mouth but... walmart, target, kmart, walgreens sell pretty much the same thing for a lot cheaper because most insurance will not cover it. I know they make child size ones cuz I saw them when I was looking for one for my hubby. The next step will be to see if you can get your 6 year old ok with wearing it. That will probably be your biggest hurdle to get over. The other thing is that some of them are big and bulky (from the stores) so they'll make him drool. You really have to look around to find a small one that will fit inside the mouth well, the Dentist may be a better choice if it's uncomfortable for him to wear or if he doesn't like that he drools. I hope this helps you out a bit and good luck!!
I went through the same thing with my son at that age, he's 24 now and still does it. He was fitted with a mouth piece that he had to wear while he slept. He continues to wear one to this day. They just took a mold of his mouth and made something that looks like boxers wear only not as large, it just keeps the teeth from hitting together.
My husband is a dentist and he grinds his teeth. He wears a dental mouth guard to bed at night. But he recommends the store bought mouth guards at this age. They only cost $9 or $10 and that way you can change them frequently since children lose and gain so many teeth at this age. To have a dentist make you one will run around $200 and he'll grow out of it fast. You might ask your dentist at the next appointment about this option. Once all his permanent teeth are in, you can have a form fitted guard made.
my 6 yr old does the same thing and I asked the dentist about a mouth guard for when he sleeps and she said that where he's growing it wouldn't help because I would have to keep buying on every couple of months so she suggested that I calm him down at night before he goes to bed the teeth grinding is from stress during the day hope this helps
My son was grinding at that exact age. The dentist did make him a mouthguard and it was very small and contoured to his mouth. I think it was a lot more comfy than the store bought guards because it fit exactly the shape of his teeth. He eventually wore right through it (!!!) and we haven't gotten another one because of all of teeth he's lost over the past year. I'd recommend a dentist.
A cheap option is to get a child's sports mouthguard. You can find them for a few bucks at any Wal-Mart or Target or K-mart. Not real expensive and you can mold to fit and since the mouth is changing all the time then you won't be spending a ton of money when you need to switch.
Teeth grinding can lead to muscle cramps in the jaw which can deter eating and talking (I had that problem) and it can also lead to migranes becuase of chemicals released when the grinding occurs. Keep an eye on it to make sure these complications aren't showing up and if they are see if they are related to the grinding.
Best of luck with it!
M.,
I work in the dental field as an hygienist. It is actually pretty common for kids to grind their teeth. There isn't much you can do. What they do for adults is make a nightguard. Its kind of like a mounth guard that is custom made for their teeth (usually clear) It doesn't stop people from grinding but it prevents wearing the tops of the teeth down. That is all there really is... if when he's older (way older) and his adult teeth do get worn down severly they can put on a crown(cap). However, most kids grow out of it!
I'm not sure of the spelling, but contact a periodontist who works with teeth and jaw problems and see what they say about his age. They may assume he'll grow out of it and isn't affecting his teeth long-term. It wasn't until I was about 16 that I saw one and they gave me a bit guard to wear at night that made a HUGE difference!
Hi Michelle my name is S. im a single mother of an 8yr old boy. He does the exact same thing your son does, he has grinded his teeth in his sleep so bad im afraid that they will break and he has done this since he started getting teeth. When i mentioned this to his dentist they told me the same thing that he was too young to do anything about it right now and that he may eventually grow out of it. Its sometimes very scary but as of right now i guess we just have to deal with it. Sorry i could not be of any more help good luck to you with the new baby.
