My six year old daughter has recently started grinding her teeth at night. It is so loud I can hear her from the living room, and I've been going in and gently half-waking her and telling her to stop. Of course, as soon as she falls back asleep, she begins again. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard...the sound is so terrible! And I just know that's got to be terrible for her teeth (which up to this point are very healthy, no cavities, and all still baby teeth.)
So, is there a good way to get her to stop doing this? A reason for it? Or should I just call her dentist?
I did that when I was younger until late teens. It could be from stress or just hyperactivity. I would get her a guard for her teeth. It is small and thin and just goes between her teeth at night so she doesn't ruin them. Definitely call her dentist and get her an apt to make sure she doesn't have jaw damage. Also make sure she isn't getting bad headaches from it.
I would call the dentist, there are mouth guards that you can wear at night. I am not sure though if they have to be fit per person or if you can buy them OTC.
My dd is 7 1/2 and started doing it about a year ago. Maybe longer, but I found out because we were on vacation last June and shared a hotel bed and her teeth grinding was keeping me awake! I talked to our dentist in Aug and again this winter about it. She says, as long as there is no damage, there is no need for a mouth guard. She said it is VERY common around that age and it usually passes on it's own without any intervention. I used to try to make her stop, but she would just do it again (tried waking her, moving her head, opening her mouth, etc, it just disrupted her sleep). My suggestion would be to talk to your dentist about it at her next regular check up.
S.
I grewup wearing a tooth guard at night because of this. I would tear through one every 4 months and had to have it replaced. If she grinds her teeth a lot she needs to see a dentist. She can not only grind her teeth down, but fracture them.
Good luck!
Well firslt id like to say that i am a chronic teeth grinder. It happens when im feeling anxious and i cant stop it. I usually have dreams that my mouth is shut tight and my teeth are cracking and i cant open my mouth, upon waking up i have a sore jaw. Not only have i broken teeth, but over time i have wore them down to being smaller. I had very expensive veneers put on them, and have recently cracked those because of how bad i grind them. This happened 4 days ago and as soon as i fix it i guess i will have to get a night guard.
Expensive one too, because ive tried others and i can sleep with them in.
I would call her dentist and see what he/she suggests, but I believe you can purchase inexpensive mouth guards at walmart or a pharmacy to prevent teeth grinding. Good luck!
A.
I just saw on Dr. Oz that if you put a warm washcloth on a child's cheeks for a bit right before bedtime, it can help relax their muscles and could reduce the frequency/intensity of grinding. I would definitley try that! Good luck!
