3 Year Old Grinding Teeth in His Sleep

K.,
Both my children have done this, we even had a consultation with a dentist for my first for a bite plate because we were so worried. For my kids, it was a phase and it passed. After a month or two both stopped, no idea why, it just stopped. Their dentist said most kids go through something like this. Don't worry too much.
K.

my daughter actually has this problem during the day, and i did some research. it's actually pretty common for kids this age to grind their teeth, and there are a number of reasons. google "bruxism in children" and you'll find several good advice sites. in fact, the first one i came up with is http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/teeth/bruxism.html and answers a lot of good questions.
you're actually supposed to take your child in to the dentist when their first tooth comes in. i recommend finding a pediatric dentist. i saw a general dentist until i was 7, and once we switched to a pediatric dentist i wasn't quite as afraid of the dentist anymore.
good luck with your son! i hope you guys can find something to help him (and you).

Hi, K.. I am a dental hygienist. Most of the information you've received below looks pretty good. Yes, grinding the teeth is considered "normal" in young children (who still have their primary teeth). It is not necessarily an indication that they will grind as adults. They usually grow out of it. At this age, we would not recommend a bite guard. Your son's mouth is in a state of constant change, right now, so it would be very difficult to get a bite guard to fit for any length of time--and it could inhibit his oral development--not to mention the difficulty inherent in getting a three-year-old to wear something like that! Yes, he could wear his teeth down, but again, we usually don't worry about it with primary teeth. I have seen some kids whose teeth are just little nubbins by the time they're six or seven (those are pretty extreme cases), but it doesn't seem to bother them and their permanent teeth are still fine. I would, however, recommend taking him to the dentist. As mentioned below, the official recommendation is that a child see the dentist when he/she gets their first tooth (or by one year old), then at least once a year after that. This is important to catch any early signs of developmental problems or decay. It's too bad your pediatrician told you differently. So many children begin to develop tooth decay or other issues within the first year or two! It's really wise to have them checked regularly. Also, it greatly reduses the fear of dentists if children begin going at a very young age! All the best to you and your little guy!

Hi K.-
This is very common in young children. Since he is so young it would be hard to ask him if he remember his dreams. He is most likely not reaching REM sleep and therefore your son would be suffering a very common sleep disorder. Snoring, grinding teeth, etc are other symptoms of the non REM sleeper. My 7 year old daughter suffers with this (well, she doesn't seem to mind, but those of us around her do lol)-A.
PS-there was a post last week on a similar issue. It might be beneficial to do a search (is there a search engine on this sight?) to see what others might had said.

After having found out that my son does this in his sleep, I called our dentist the very next day. His reply was that this is something normal and won't damage the teeth since they are only the baby ones. If I was still worried I could purchase a mouth guard but at 3yo it would be more difficult to get my son to use it properly and throughout the night, then it would be to just let it go. Of course as long as you keep up with regular dental checks they can prevent any problems that may arise when the permanent teeth come in. So for the most part, it is just a stage. :)

I would mention it to your pediatrician. Teeth grinding weakens the enamel making teeth more suseptable to cavities. He/she may have ideas to curb the problem early before any teeth problems happen

Hi K.!

I would second the getting in to see the dentist at some point soon. Our dentist also recommended bringing our son in at one, and it's a gentle start to dental visits. Good luck and don't worry too much!

Best,
L.

I would think just calling and asking your dentist would be a good place too start. I'm sure a 3 year old wouldn't put up with a night guard, but maybe your dentist would have some suggestions. My daughter would do it when she was awake sometimes, but I never noticed her doing it in her sleep. I would tell her that will give her teeth and owie, but night grinding is a tough one. I'm a daytime teeth clencher, and I don't do it at night, just when I am concentrating on something, so night guard doesn't help me either. Best of luck.

I think you have the right idea, talk to his pediatrician. If it is not something he/she can handle they will send you in the right direction with a referal.
I to grind my tetth and have done it for years, and yes have paid the price for it too. I was told that it is usually stress.

My almost 4 yr old daughter grinds her teeth at night as well. She even has one tooth that has been worn down by it.

I brought it up with her dentist at her last visit and the dentist looked at her tooth and was not very concerned. They are baby teeth for one and she also said that it is fairly common and most kids outgrow it.

She mentioned that there really wasn't anything to do at this point. They don't fit kids this age for night guards.

Her advice was, try not to worry about it and keep an eye on the worn tooth to make sure it doesn't chip. She said the nerve will likely recede as the tooth gets more worn.

Hope this helps. If you find out anything else, pass it on, please.

D.