Does Your Child Grind Their Teeth
Many children grind their teeth at night while they are asleep. Grinding of teeth is very common among children and adults. This can lead to many dental problems depending on the intensity of grinding and the cause behind it. Many psychological, physical and physiological factors may cause a child to grind their teeth. Various other factors that can cause bruxism are stress, brain injury, jaw misalignment and side effect of few medications.
Symptoms of Teeth Grinding : Dental Clinic in Vasant Vihar
Daytime teeth grinding is not really noticeable but if it is done at nighttime then it can be pin pointed easily. Few symptoms are listed below:
- Injured gums
- Injured teeth
- Complaint of headache
- Clenching of jaw muscles
- Sensitivity of tooth to hot and cold foods
- Painful muscles of the jaw
Teeth damage by Grinding
Bruxism is considered as grinding of upper jaw with the lower jaw. There are times that the child and parents are completely unaware of it but the dentist can look at the condition of the teeth and tell.
Treatment of Grinding
Grinding mainly occurs by the age of thirteen years in children. The dentist may provide an interventional strategy while examining and monitoring the teeth of the child. If the cause behind the grinding of teeth is jaw misalignment then it is corrected. One option for treatment is altering the biting surface of the teeth with crowns. Also, relaxation classes are recommended to reduce stress level and some special exercises are taught to the kids. The paediatric may also provide relaxants for muscles to alleviate clenching of jaws and reduce jaw spasms.
If you have questions or concerns about grinding teeth, please contact your Periodontist dentist in Vasant Vihar at Dentem Center. During your visit your dentist will examine your child’s teeth for tooth enamel wear and damage. If there is damage, or your child grinds their teeth very frequently, your dentist may recommend a custom-made night guard to protect teeth and hopefully prevent grinding.