son grinding his teeth!!!!

Barbara - posted on 10/12/2009

Both children who grind their teeth when they are sleeping especially and nail biters are under stress that they don't know how to handle any other way. It soothes them to do it. Sometimes it is self-imposed stress but often it is from the environment or expectations put upon them that are not age appropriate. Look for ways to relieve stress in a small child's life to eliminate the need for this.

Jocelyn - posted on 10/02/2009

thank you ladies! glad to know other children make their parents suffer :P lol. and it totally never dawned on me that it could be stress related.... we just moved *as in yesterday* and I'm due with another baby in a few days....so I don't blame the poor little guy :( I'll be keeping and "ear" on it and if he keeps at it more much longer I will take him to the dentist!
Thanks again!

Heather - posted on 10/01/2009

Take him to a good dentist now! I started nightly teeth grinding (bruxism) when I was a child and didn't grow out of it. In some cases it is a response to stress but in others it may have an inherited link. There are techniques that can be tried but most 'home' ones are silly and unhelpful. An informed dentist or maybe doctor will be able to help you make some informed choices. I wish someone had helped my mother when I was young - my dental bills now are going to be scary! Good luck.

Sara - posted on 09/30/2009

My son is 8 and has done this for yrs, we couldnt find a way to get him to stop and now he has grinded his 2 top teeth all the way down to the nerve (very painful for him) and now we have to get them removed along with 3bottom teeth. I say speak with his doctor as soon as you can to try to stop it before its to late.

Tami - posted on 09/30/2009

My daughter started doing this when she was asleep at a very young age - it turns out we didn't realize how bad it was until she started going to the dentist and we discovered that her teeth were actually ground down because of it. He told us that it was probably stress - even for a young age so we got her a mouth guard - one that kids use for sports worked fine because you heat it up, they bite it and it molds to their teeth. This eventually helped - she may spit it out once in a while but eventually she adjusted to it. We also started taking her to the chiropractor on a regular basis and he used a tool - not physical manipulation - to make adjustments in her neck area and that also helped. These are cheaper things to try than having to replace their teeth!!

She's 18 now and doesn't have any problems with grinding hardly ever and her adult teeth are fine - so nip it early before they are still doing it when their adult teeth start to come in because they will have cosmetic issues then

Joanne - posted on 09/30/2009

my daughter is 7 and she grinds her teeth and right now it looks like she has None,=( she lost ONE tooth and that was her first one on the bottom..tooth Fairy didnt have to make to many stops here. lol

but lately she hasnt been.. which could be a good thing.

Candice - posted on 09/30/2009

our son has is 15 months and likes to grind his teeth, it sounds like he's chipping his teeth. We try to give him something to take his mind of his teeth. he also puts things in between his teeth (clothes, blankets) and rips them out of his mouth, we don't know what to do.

Debora - posted on 09/30/2009

I HAVE TRIED TO FIND GUARDS FOR MINE THEY DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY BUT FOR ADULTS.DENTIST HAS TALKED TO HER USING THOSE FAKE TEETH THEY HAVE IT HAS NOT WORKED AND SHE IS 10YRS OLD.

Angelica - posted on 09/30/2009

actually my daughter just started doing this the other day too and i told her all her teeth were going to fall out and i havent really heard her do it but then she might just be doing it in secret like she dose when she bites her nails

Lynsey - posted on 09/30/2009

My son is six and he grinds his teeth at night .really goes through me doesn't do it in the day. Very perculiar x

Sharon - posted on 09/30/2009

UGH I couldn't stand it when my toddlers did this, I don't know why - the new teeth feel weird? its a new sensation they LIKE? Their little jaws going back & forth like saws. I gave mine carrot chunks to chew up. If they had done it in their sleep I would have taken them to a dentist for protective guards (I have doubts they would have kept them in...)

Lauren - posted on 09/30/2009

It might sound mean but try to scare him out of it! Tell him if he keeps doing it all his teeth will fall out and then he won't be able to eat...(and then say his favourite thing) if not try a little reward scheme. If he doesn't do it for an hour give him a little treat...and then try 2 hours. I no we shouldn't bribe our children but I don't think any mum could say they haven't done it! and if it works even better! Good luck

Shantrell - posted on 09/30/2009

I feel your pain!!!! My sin who is 8 now; started grinding his teeth when he was 4yrs old and it constantly irritated me. I t was worse at night time as he got older until I spoke with his peditrician/dentist and was adviced to buy a night guard that can placed in at night time but I'm not sure if this will help your 3yr old b/c of his age. Try talking with his peditrician/dentist to solve it immediately before the constant grinding of teeth develops into TMJ