Stop Your Child from Grinding His or Her Teeth

How to Stop Your Child 

from Grinding His or Her Teeth

Bruxism is a condition in which you clench or grind your teeth. Children commonly have sleep bruxism, which means that they grind their teeth at night. If your child is grinding his/her teeth, you may find that simply helping him relax at night solves the problem. There are also other ways to help protect your child’s teeth as outlined in Method 2.

Understand that stress can cause bruxism. Teeth grinding can be a sign that your child is stressed or anxious about something. Helping your child to relax may be the key to getting your child to stop grinding his/her teeth.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine for your child. As mentioned in the previous step, teeth grinding can be a sign that your child is stressed. Helping your child to relax for bed may reduce how often he/she grinds his/her teeth. Create a routine that involves relaxing activities before bedtime. These activities could include:
Taking a warm bath.
Listening to soothing music.
Reading a book.
Telling your child stories or singing lullabies.

Make your child’s bedroom feel peaceful. Dimming the lights and making the room cooler can help your child to sleep more peacefully, and thus stop grinding his/her teeth. To make your child’s bedroom relaxing and peaceful:
Keep the lights dim. Instead of using bright fluorescent bulbs, set your child’s room up with some dim bulbs that you can be turned on at night.
Keep the temperature down. Most people tend to sleep better when the temperature in their bedroom is lower.

Hold a warm washcloth to your child’s jaw before bed. Warm temperatures can create good blood flow. If you hold a warm, wet washcloth to your child’s face, you will help his/her jaw muscles to relax by creating good blood flow to the area. This will help your child’s jaw to relax and will make him/her less likely to clench his/her teeth together while he sleeps. Run the washcloth under warm water. Make sure to test the cloth against your own skin first to make sure that it is not too hot. Hold the cloth over your child's jaw. Once the washcloth has cooled, run it under the water again and switch it to the other side of your child’s jaw.

Be aware that grinding as a result of teething is not a large concern. While it is still unclear why children begin grinding their teeth, it is thought that bruxism could be caused by your child’s baby teeth coming in. When your child’s baby teeth come in, it might cause them to feel irritation, which may lead to teeth grinding. Intervention is not usually required when your child grinds his or her baby teeth. However, it may help to develop a relaxing routine before bed to keep your child from grinding.

Get a mouthguard for your child. Your child’s dentist may recommend getting him a mouthguard, also known as an occasional splint or night guard, to protect your child’s teeth. When your child grinds his/her teeth, he can actually wear his teeth down and damage his/her enamel. The guard is made of silicon rubber, which acts as a shield to keep the upper and lower molars from grinding against each other. Submerge the mouthguard in water during the day to keep it clean. Try to clean it with a toothbrush every one to two days.

Minimize the amount of caffeine that your child consumes. Caffeine can alter your child’s sleep schedule because it blocks the formation of a chemical called adenosine. This chemical helps to make you feel relaxed, which in turn can help you sleep better. Avoid giving your child caffeinated products like:
Sodas.
Energy drinks.
Chocolate.
Coffee.

Try to keep your child from chewing on things other than food. When your child grinds his teeth at night, it is important that he/she does not chew on anything that can damage his teeth further during the day. If you notice your child chewing on his/her nails, pencils, or pens, help him to break these habits. You can read about how to help your child get over these habits here.

Do not let your child chew gum. Chewing gum causes your jaws to clench. This jaw clenching can become subconscious, which can make your child’s teeth grinding become worse. Help your child to stay away from gum while he/she works through his bruxism.

Teach your child how to avoid clenching his jaw when he notices it happening. If your child is old enough to be conscious of his/her jaw clenching and teeth grinding, show him how to stop doing those actions when he/she becomes aware of them. To do this, tell him to place the tip of his/her tongue between his/her teeth whenever he notices himself clenching his/her jaw or grinding his/her teeth. Having his/her tongue in between his teeth will help him to stop doing the action.

Consider meeting with a therapist if you think your child’s teeth grinding might be psychological. If you are concerned that your child’s teeth grinding might be linked to a psychological condition, you may want to meet with a psychotherapist who will be able to help your child overcome his/her bruxism. Guided meditation: 
This technique involves developing a sense of self esteem and a belief that you have control over your own body.

For more details please Contact Us....... Sen's Dental Clinic & Braces Center...... 9830464066 / 9163927966.