Bruxism Treatment for a Child

Finding information about types of bruxism treatment when your child is grinding his or her teeth can help you understand more about this type of behavior. When children grind their teeth (bruxism), it is often due to them experiencing some form of stress or anxiety in their lives. While the act of children grinding their teeth can be called a normal behavior, it is only normal if it only occurs for a brief amount of time, and there is no damage done to their teeth.

Reasons for bruxism in children

When bruxism occurs in children, there is almost always an outside source that is directly related to the teeth-grinding episode, such as some form of stress that is making them feel anxious about something that is taking place in their lives. Another reason why bruxism occurs in children is due to certain jaw misalignment issues. Children who have been diagnosed with a developmental disorder are often more at risk of grinding their teeth.

What does bruxism do?

When children grind their teeth, the physical occurrence is that they are gnashing their upper and lower teeth together. In time, this repetitive action can begin to wear away parts of the teeth, which can change the overall shape of the teeth. This action makes it so that the teeth become weaker, causing the child more susceptible to having dental problems like chipped and fractured teeth or teeth that grow in crooked.

Bruxism symptoms in children

When children grind their teeth too hard or for long periods of time, they may experience the following symptoms:

• Discomfort or pain in their teeth
• Discomfort or bleeding in their gums
• Extreme sensitivity to their teeth when drinking hot or cold drinks or eating cold or hot foods

Bruxism treatment options for children

If a child is grinding his or her teeth due to stress or anxiety, a pediatric dentist or family dentist is usually able to offerquality treatment suggestions, which may include special mouth and jaw exercises as well as professional therapy. If the grinding is causing damage to the teeth, the child can wear a special dental appliance at night in order to keep his or her teeth safe from harm.

Find out more about bruxism?

The more you understand the reasons behind why your child is grinding his or her teeth, the better you are able to help him or her stop this potentially harmful habit. It is important for your child to have regular dental exams in order to be sure that their adult teeth are growing in exactly as they should. If there are any oral issues present in your child, the sooner you are able to address these issues, the better. It is better for the patient to recognize and address in a timely manner. If your child is experiencing bouts of bruxism or just needs a semi-annual checkup, make an appointment with your dentist today.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Advanced Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, request an appointment in our Odessa dental office here: https://www.westtexasperio.com. Or call us at (432) 538-3318.