Teeth Grinding in Children at Night

Teeth grinding in children can cause a lot of distress for anxious parents that just can't figure out what is wrong with their kid! Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is an oral habit, wherein a person tends to continuously grind his upper and lower teeth at night. If this habit persists even during the day, then it is known as bruxomania. There can be many reasons for teeth grinding in sleep.

Causes

Growth of Jaws
One of the most common causes of teeth grinding is continuous growth of jaws. While the jaws are growing, at times, the upper and lower teeth may not be properly aligned. In such cases, due to the misalignment of teeth of the upper and lower jaw, which in turn, is caused due to constant growth of the jaws, can lead to bruxism.

Abnormal Alignment of Teeth
If there is proper and complete growth of jaws and yet the child is grinding his teeth, then this could indicate towards an abnormal alignment of teeth. This misalignment of teeth can lead to disharmony between the upper and lower jaw, due to which the jaws do not find a constant point to occlude on. This could lead to teeth grinding in sleep and even during the day in children. However, till the child's permanent canine teeth do not come out, generally dentists do not advise orthodontic treatment, because it is only after the eruption of the canine that the true alignment of teeth is established.

Ill-fitting Crowns and Poorly Done Fillings
Sometimes, children may land with tooth decay, in which case they will need a filling or a dental crown. In such cases, if the filling is overdone, or if the crown does not fit properly, it could lead to problems in jaw closure, which in turn, can lead to teeth grinding.

TMJ Problems
Sometimes, a child may be suffering from a temporomandibular joint disorder. In such a case, he may not be able to close his upper and lower jaw in one fixed position, or may have a lot of pain while closing his jaws in the right position. Furthermore, at times, the child may even have a disease that affects the temporomandibular joint, like arthritis, etc. which could lead to pain while closing the mouth.

Other Causes
There are many other causes, and one of them may be stress. If a child has a muscle coordination problem, which may or may not be congenital, then he could have difficulty closing the mouth or may end up clenching his teeth for a long time. This problem may be neurologic or muscular in its origin. Another reason that can lead to bruxism is forceful muscle contractions of the jaw, which may occur due to abnormalities in the calcium levels in the body. Sometimes, teeth grinding in toddlers may also be seen! This is generally associated with teething and is rarely a cause for concern.

The treatment for this disorder will depend on the underlying cause. Hence, the treatment will depend on the cause being dental, musculoskeletal or neurologic in nature. However, the use of a teeth grinding mouth guard helps to keep the upper and lower teeth away from each other. This is important because constant and uncontrolled teeth grinding could lead to severe abrasion of teeth and excessive loss of tooth enamel. Hence, though generally not a cause of concern, if your child is constantly grinding his teeth in sleep, then it is best to visit a dentist and get the condition diagnosed and treated.