Grinding of teeth or bruxism in children is quite common and in most cases there is no need to worry. However, on other occasions children may have a fairly severe level of grinding of teeth or bruxism, so it will be necessary to intervene or seek the assessment of a doctor or dentist to know how to proceed.
Bruxism in children
Most cases of teeth grinding are harmless in children and will eventually go away on their own. But, in rare cases, teeth grinding or bruxism may be caused by another condition that needs to be addressed or it may cause additional problems for your child. In these cases, it will be necessary for you to remedy as soon as possible and seek professional help to avoid consequences for the teeth or jaws of your children.
The causes are quite inexplicable although sometimes it can be due to a combination of genetics and external factors such as stress or anxiety. If your child grinds his teeth, you can watch out for the following symptoms:
- Your child seems to have pain or discomfort in the face when waking up or during the day
- Have severe headaches
- You often have tooth sensitivity to hot or cold foods
- You have signs of trauma to the teeth or gums, as well as redness, swelling, or bleeding
If your child experiences any of the following symptoms, You will have to go to the pediatrician because he may refer you to the dentist to find a solution such as putting a dental protector at night (a night splint), in case your child experiences nocturnal bruxism.
What else to keep in mind
Grinding of teeth in young children is common and in most cases occurs during sleep at nap time and before bedtime. Most children cease bruxism at age six, but on many occasions it can also last into adulthood.
Because most cases of teeth grinding occur before the child has their permanent teeth, it usually does not cause any long-term damage. Most of the time, there is no real cause to grind teeth in children and your child will not even realize he is doing it.
However, if teeth grinding interferes with your child's sleep, growth, or development, or if your child appears to have any other symptoms, such as fever or pain, you need to make sure to speak with a doctor to rule out any causes. underlying. You should also see a doctor and possibly a dentist if your child has not outgrown teeth grinding after age six.
In addition, if you think your child's teeth grinding or bruxism is too exaggerated, then it is very important that you go to the pediatrician as soon as possible to be able to comment on what is happening and that in this way you look for a solution to avoid consequences.