Child grinding teethBruxism (or teeth grinding) is an oral and jaw problem where the person affected grinds his or her teeth. Bruxism occurs in most people, but is often mild, or intermittent, and does not affect someone’s health. But when tooth grinding becomes more frequent, it may set off significant complications, leading to severe damage towards the jaws and teeth.

Not only adults might suffer from bruxism, but 15 to 33 percent of children grind their teeth, and this happens mostly during tooth eruption periods. This type of bruxism happens when the child is sleeping and many parents notice it because they hear grinding noises coming from the child’s mouth.

There is no major treatment for young children who suffer from bruxism. Most of them lose the habit when they reach adolescence.

Here are a few tips for helping a child to reduce teeth grinding:

  • Reduce a child’s stress level, especially before sleep.
  • Try massaging and relaxing the muscles of the face.
  • Ask your dentist to check if your child has signs or bruxism, such as tooth wear.
  • Make sure that the child’s diet contains a lot of water because dehydration can be connected with teeth grinding.

The information above should be used as a reference only. Any medical decision should not be taken before consulting a health care professional.

The masculine gender may have been more used in the article, but without prejudice, to make reading easier.

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