7 Month Old Grinds Teeth

My one year old started as soon as his teeth came in and really hasnt stopped but he has a binkie that helps. If you dont want to use a bink try a blanket that is small enough that he can cary around. A news letter that I get via email says that it can be because of many different things but that usualy its because they are new things to play with and raking ::shudder:: them back and forth is his way of trying them out. Also it could be some mild stress releiver for him. The news letter said not to worry and that they usualy grow out of it. The letter also suggested that you give him plenty of things to bang on as a stress reliever (toy drum, pots and pans, tupper wear) what ever you can come up with. Some times this helps. Good luck.

My son who is now 15 months old, did the same thing. Eventually they do break the habit. I think it may be because they are feeling out the new stuff in their mouth. Hope this helps.

Hi W.,

To my understanding the grinding of teeth could be the signs of an allergic reaction. It is best to ask your pediatrican his/her advise or to begin a process of elimination of new foods that you have introduced to your baby. My son used to grind his teeth and he had terrible allergies (and still does...). Also, have your doctor check his ears. If he is having a sinus/allergies problem it could cause fluid to build up in his ears.

I hope this helps,
D.

Its just a faze they go through.One,they are curious about the feel and new noise they have learned and two if he is doing it at night its a way of winding down.My son did this and it drove me crazy.His dr. said to help him release tention by rubbing his back or something and that helped.It passes pretty quickly so dont worry unless it continues then ask his ped.

actually my dentist told me that it is normal for children to grind their teeth. It is ok in children. If it continues into adulthood it could damage adult teeth. My daughter has ALWAYS done it and it grates on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. I don't think there is anything you can do to stop it.

Is he on any medication that calms him. Or it might be his teeth are long in his mouth. You might have to take him to a dentist. My Son had done this and he was on a medication that was too strong. He could be hyper. I really hope you find out. Take care

My two boys both do this. I recently just discovered (from waking up with migraines)that i do it as well in my sleep. My oldest over time has worn down his teeth as well as began having headaches.My sons dentist told me not to worry about it. That it was very common.But if it became a problem like continuing until much older or was to start causing headaches there were mouth guards that you can have fitted to your child. He said it was a habit that they some times don't realize they are doing.I just encouraged them when i noticed they were doing it to please stop that you are hurting your teeth. I wouldn't make a huge deal out of it yet because he may realize he can get a rise out of you. I would just encourage you to ask your own dr. or dentist and see if they had any concerns or suggestions.

My baby girl did this. My pediatrician said it is normal and to try to ignore the behavior. It seems to have worked. She didn't grind her teeth very long. Good luck!

Hi W.,

I don't know how to medically stop it, but I can tell you that it is not uncommon. I grind my teeth when I have a lot on my mind or am stressed. After I had my son, I found out that he too grinded his teeth in his sleep as a toddler. However, he did not do it every night. So, I have figured that he too may only do it when he has something on his mind or am thinking deeply. Go figure what a toddler could have on his mind that is so deep, but that is what I figure. I do know there is something you can buy at like a Walgreens, Wal-mart pharmacy or other place like those that will protect their teeth. You can ask the pharmacist at any of those places. Hope that helped a little.

A.

My son grinded his teeth as well when he was young. He would especially do this when he was chewing...it drove us nuts and I was so worried about his teeth. Howevever, when I took him to the dentist she told me his teeth were fine and the only damage he was doing to his mouth was from putting his top teeth over his bottom lip (causing his top teeth to move out). And come to think of it, he has stopped griding his teeth!!

i have a 2 year old little girl who also did that when she was getting her teeth in and it drove me and husband crazy because we thought it would make her teeth shaped weird but it did not and she eventually stopped after a couple of months. Hope this helps you feel better about it.

my four year old did that when he was a baby and it is normal and will pass- something to do with getting used to all of the new teeth they have. It sent chills up my spine, but he grew out of it!

My son did the same thing I would just offer him a toy to chew on. He should grow out of it mine did, its just nerve racking when they do it. I hope that will help. Good Luck!!

Is this at night when he sleeps, or is he just playing with the sound during the day?

Grinding teeth at night is fm stress, though usually occurs in older kids. Never heard of a baby doing it!

My daughter ground her [permanent] teeth, at night, all the time. Drove me crazy and it wrecked her teeth to boot. Now she's all grown up and has to wear a "cover" to protect them further.

But I'm getting the feeling that your baby is "feeling" the teeth and "playing" with the sound during the day. Is that right? If so, a tap on the lips - not to hurt, just enough pressure to startle him and get him to pay attention, and then a quiet 'no' at the same time....every time he does it, might be something worth trying.

Best,
C., RN

i think it pretty common in little ones. they really isn't much you can do about it. most baies grow out of it with in a few months. as long as his teeth aren't breaking off, it'll be ok. if it gets that bad take him to see a pediatric dentist.

My son did the same thing around that age and it drove me nuts. However, I called the dentist because I, like you, was concerned that he would mess his teeth up. He said that it is just him getting used to having teeth and it's not going to harm them because he's basically just rubbing them together. He said if he continues to do it long term then we might have cause for concern but for now not to worry about it.

W., it sounds like your son is teething. Both of my children grit there teeth and like to drive me bonkers. Try giving him a cool wash cloth to chew on. Or maybe a popscicle to bite on. These things seemed to help my children. Good luck.

My 10 mo old also grinds. Another mom responded that it seemed to coorilate with an ear infection and I have also found it to be the case with my son. He had a severe infection for over a month before he even showed any of the 'traditional' signs. Have your ped peek in his ears next time you are there. To make him stop I'll do something to distract him.

I'd take him to the dentist and see about a mouth guard. Or just to see about getting some suggestions from him. Good luck

My son did the same thing. I got the teething rings and made sure they were cold or carried a wet wash rag for him to chew on until he just stopped one day. I have no idea why he did it either, but I am glad he stopped. :)

My son used to grind his teeth a lot and so we took him to the dentist to have them checked. Dental check was fine, but we did find out at a check up a bit later that he had fluid in his ears. Went to see an ENT, had PE tubes put in and the grinding stopped. We now know that anytime he starts grinding to have his ears checked and every time it has been fluid backed up, PE Tubes had fallen out and time for new ones, or an ear infection starting up. Since keeping the PE tubes in his ear and starting him on allergy medications a couple years ago the grinding rarely every happens.

Hi W.,
I went through the same thing with my son who's now one (tomorrow:)!). I read a number of things and nothing really gave me a reason or a remedy for it. The good thing was he didn't do it in his sleep (as far as we could tell), but he would do it throughout the day. Since I didn't read anything that said it was harmful for him at this point (I think he's just getting used to having his chompers!), I just wanted to make sure it didn't become a habit...plus the noise was like nails on a chalkboard to me! It sounded so painful!! The only thing I would do was to playfully put my finger in his mouth or squeeze his cheeks (again, very playfully!) to break him of it each time. Or, I'd grab a soft nipple sippy cup or a binky for him to chew on instead. He seemed to just want to do something with his teeth. He has 10 teeth now and doesn't do it anymore. Hope this helps!!

My son (who is 1yr) grinds his teeth too. He used to do it a lot more but now he just does in occassionally. It drives me nuts though when I hear him doing it. I don't think there is really anything i can do to prevent him from grinding his teeth. With time, it has gotten better. Hopefully it will be the same for your son.