How Do Toorak Dentists Treat Teeth Grinding in Children
Teeth grinding or bruxism is a common problem in children and is often ignored by parents. Most children outgrow the habit of grinding their teeth as they grow older. However, bruxism could cause concern both in children and adults and could implicate serious problems. One of the top causes of bruxism is stress in children and adults. This post will discuss the causes and impact of bruxism in children and how Toorak dentist will treat the problem.
Cause of Teeth Grinding in Children
Experts believe almost 20 percent of the children have the problem of grinding their teeth at night and in the daytime when they are under stress. While children tend to grind teeth at any time of the day, it will be more noticeable when sleeping. Often, children are unaware of this problem. It is the parents’ responsibility to help them identify and treat the pain.
The various causes of teeth grinding in children are:
- Response to pain: Children undergo much pain while they are teething, and as a reaction to the pain, children tend to grind their teeth. In the case of older children, bruxism is a sign of stress and anxiety they face.
- Stress: Strong nervous tension, anger, an argument with parents or siblings can lead to clenching and grinding of the teeth. Academic anxiety could also be one of the reasons for stress in children. It is necessary to find the reason and help them cope with it.
- Teeth misalignment: improper alignment of the teeth could also be one of the reasons for teeth grinding. You will have to take the child to the dentist to diagnose the problem and treat it in such cases.
- Medical Condition: In certain medical conditions like cerebral palsy, children tend to grind teeth. Some medicines may also trigger the habit of teeth grinding in children.
Impact of Teeth Grinding in Children
Teeth grinding in toddlers is temporary and will go away with time. In many cases, bruxism may lead to discomforts like headaches, jaw aches, facial pain, and earaches. In elder children, heavy bruxism may lead to the wearing of the teeth. Additionally, the constant grinding of teeth could also lead to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Teeth grinding is associated with ADHD in children. Parents need to watch out for bruxism and consult the doctor to eliminate the reasons for stress.
Treatment for Teeth Grinding
- Teeth moulds: The dentist will prepare a mouth guard for the child to place while sleeping to prevent the teeth from wearing down. However, a mouth guard is a temporary solution to protect the teeth. Parents will have to find the root cause leading to stress and try to eliminate the same.
- Behavioural changes: Often, children are not aware that they tend to grind their teeth; parents will have to make them aware. The habit of chewing pencil or gum could tighten their jaw, eventually leading to teeth grinding in children.
- Food habits: Many processed foods and drinks contain caffeine, which increases stress levels in children, leading to tooth grinding. Eliminating caffeine-rich food products will reduce stress levels, and children could stop the habit of grinding.
Conclusion
Bruxism is a common problem in children which is triggered due to increased stress levels or as a response to prevalent dental pain. The treatment of teeth grinding involves behavioural changes and eliminating the foods or situations that trigger bruxism. Alongside, the dentist may also suggest wearing a customized mouthguard to prevent the wearing of teeth.
