{"id":324,"date":"2015-07-06T16:00:18","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T16:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.viennapleasantdental.com\/?page_id=324"},"modified":"2015-07-06T16:00:18","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T16:00:18","slug":"does-your-child-grind-his-or-her-teeth-at-night","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/procedures\/pediatric-dentistry\/does-your-child-grind-his-or-her-teeth-at-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Your Child Grind His or Her Teeth at Night?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\">\n<div id=\"StylizedImage\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/styles.prosites.com\/litesite\/2018\/GenedImages\/Stylized\/s_Pediatric%20Dentistry-585955510.jpg\" id=\"ctl00_ImageFlareStylized1_ImageFlareStylized1\">\n        <\/div>\n<p>    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/&lt;![CDATA[\nSys.WebForms.PageRequestManager._initialize('ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$sm', 'aspnetForm', [], [], [], 90, 'ctl00');\n\/\/]]&gt;\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"PageService_Line_Item_Name\" id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_PageServiceLineItemName\">\n<div style=\"float:left\"><span id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_Pagename\">Does Your Child Grind His or Her Teeth at Night?<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"float:right\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"PageService_Line_Group_Items\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">Bruxism, or the grinding of teeth, is remarkably common in children and adults. &nbsp;For some children, this tooth grinding is limited to daytime hours, but nighttime grinding (during sleep) is most prevalent.&nbsp; Bruxism can lead to a wide range of dental problems, depending on the frequency of the behavior, the intensity of the grinding, and the underlying causes of the grinding.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">A wide range of psychological, physiological, and physical factors may lead children to brux.&nbsp; In particular, jaw misalignment (bad bite), stress, and traumatic brain injury are all thought to contribute to bruxism, although grinding can also occur as a side effect of certain medications.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\"><strong><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\">What are some symptoms of bruxism?<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">In general, parents can usually hear intense grinding &ndash; especially when it occurs at nighttime.&nbsp; Subtle daytime jaw clenching and grinding, however, can be difficult to pinpoint. &nbsp;Oftentimes, general symptoms provide clues as to whether or not the child is bruxing, including:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-style: normal;\">\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\">Frequent complaints of headache.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\">Injured teeth and gums.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\">Loud grinding or clicking sounds.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\">Rhythmic tightening or clenching of the jaw muscles.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\">Unusual complaints about painful jaw muscles &ndash; especially in the morning.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\">Unusual tooth sensitivity to hot and cold foods.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\"><strong><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\">How can bruxism damage my child\u2019s teeth?<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">Bruxism is characterized by the grinding of the upper jaw against the lower jaw. &nbsp;Especially in cases where there is vigorous grinding, the child may experience moderate to severe jaw discomfort, headaches, and ear pain.&nbsp; Even if the child is completely unaware of nighttime bruxing (and parents are unable to hear it), the condition of the teeth provides your pediatric dentist with important clues.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">First, chronic grinders usually show an excessive wear pattern on the teeth.&nbsp; If jaw misalignment is the cause, tooth enamel may be worn down in specific areas.&nbsp; In addition, children who brux are more susceptible to chipped teeth, facial pain, gum injury, and temperature sensitivity. &nbsp;In extreme cases, frequent, harsh grinding can lead to the early onset of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\"><strong><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\">What causes bruxism?<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">Bruxism can be caused by several different factors. Most commonly, \u201cbad bite\u201d or jaw misalignment promotes grinding. &nbsp;Pediatric dentists also notice that children tend to brux more frequently in response to life stressors. &nbsp;If the child is going through a particularly stressful exam period or is relocating to a new school for example, nighttime bruxing may either begin or intensify.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">Children with certain developmental disorders and brain injuries may be at particular risk for grinding.&nbsp; In such cases, your pediatric dentist may suggest botulism injections to calm the facial muscles, or provide a protective nighttime mouthpiece. &nbsp;If the onset of bruxing is sudden, current medications need to be evaluated.&nbsp; Though bruxing is a rare side effect of specific medications, the medication itself may need to be switched for an alternate brand.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\"><strong><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\">How is bruxism treated?<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">Bruxing spontaneously ceases by the age of thirteen in the majority of children.&nbsp; In the meantime however, your pediatric dentist will continually monitor its effect on the child\u2019s teeth and may provide an interventional strategy.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">In general, the cause of the grinding dictates the treatment approach. &nbsp;If the child\u2019s teeth are badly misaligned, your pediatric dentist may take steps to correct this.&nbsp; Some of the available options include: altering the biting surface of teeth with crowns, and beginning occlusal treatment.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">If bruxing seems to be exacerbated by stress, your pediatric dentist may recommend relaxation classes, professional therapy, or special exercises.&nbsp; The child\u2019s pediatrician may also provide muscle relaxants to alleviate jaw clenching and reduce jaw spasms.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\" style=\"font-style: normal;\">In cases where young teeth are sustaining significant damage, your pediatric dentist may suggest a specialized nighttime dental appliance such as a nighttime mouth guard.&nbsp; Mouth guards stop tooth surfaces from grinding against each other, and look similar to a mouthpiece a person might wear during sports. &nbsp;Bite splints or bite plates fulfill the same function and are almost universally successful in preventing grinding damage.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><em>If you have questions or concerns about bruxism or grinding teeth, please contact our office.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n        <input type=\"button\" onclick=\"document.location.href='\/procedures\/pediatric-dentistry\/'\" value=\"&lt;&lt;\" class=\"Button\" onmouseout=\"this.className='Button'\" onmouseover=\"this.className='ButtonHover'\" id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_btnBack\" name=\"ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$btnBack\"><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does Your Child Grind His or Her Teeth at Night? Bruxism, or the grinding of teeth, is remarkably common in children and adults. &nbsp;For some children, this tooth grinding is limited to daytime hours, but nighttime grinding (during sleep) is most prevalent.&nbsp; Bruxism can lead to a wide range of dental problems, depending on the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":135,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Wayne Clevenger","author_link":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/author\/cierradmin\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/324\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}