Do you need to stop teeth grinding in small children and will there be any permanent damage? When a child is young, many things are changing rapidly in their bodies. This includes teeth that are growing and breaking through the skin that can be very annoying. If your small child grinds their teeth at night, it is nothing to be alarmed about as it is quite common. Once the teeth are in place and the child is a little older, the problem often naturally goes away as there is less irritation during the night.
At what age then does teeth grinding become a problem? The answer to that question depends on what age the child is. The older the child, the more of a problem it might be. It is not common for older children to grind their teeth and if yours does then it could be a good thing to go see a dentist. You want to try to stop the habit before any real damage occurs.
In the case of small kids, your pediatrician should be a good source of answers for things like teeth grinding as it is somewhat common in children. There is no specific cure for bruxism but you doctor may have and idea or suggestion of something you can do to try to stop the problem. However, as every child is different, there is no guarantee that what he suggests will work.
Most adults that have bruxism are told they may have it by their dentists who notice the loss of enamel and the wear on the top of their teeth from years of grinding. A habit like grinding teeth may not show up for years in an adult because the teeth are pretty strong and it may have to be a spouse that hears the grinding at night for you to know about it. If a spouse doesnt notice it then eventually a dentist will when the signs of grinding become more visible.
With children under the age of ten though, it might not be possible to identify bruxism by just looking at the teeth. This is because they are new teeth and the damage might not be visible yet. Most parents know their young children grind their teeth at night because they hear them doing it and this may be the only way to ever know if this problem is one that affects your child.
At what age then does teeth grinding become a problem? The answer to that question depends on what age the child is. The older the child, the more of a problem it might be. It is not common for older children to grind their teeth and if yours does then it could be a good thing to go see a dentist. You want to try to stop the habit before any real damage occurs.
In the case of small kids, your pediatrician should be a good source of answers for things like teeth grinding as it is somewhat common in children. There is no specific cure for bruxism but you doctor may have and idea or suggestion of something you can do to try to stop the problem. However, as every child is different, there is no guarantee that what he suggests will work.
Most adults that have bruxism are told they may have it by their dentists who notice the loss of enamel and the wear on the top of their teeth from years of grinding. A habit like grinding teeth may not show up for years in an adult because the teeth are pretty strong and it may have to be a spouse that hears the grinding at night for you to know about it. If a spouse doesnt notice it then eventually a dentist will when the signs of grinding become more visible.
With children under the age of ten though, it might not be possible to identify bruxism by just looking at the teeth. This is because they are new teeth and the damage might not be visible yet. Most parents know their young children grind their teeth at night because they hear them doing it and this may be the only way to ever know if this problem is one that affects your child.
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