Teeth Grinding - Trinity, TX

Updated on October 11, 2008
A.R. asks from Trinity, TX
22 answers

My 4 year old daughter has started grinding her teeth in her sleep. Has anyone every went through this? I don't know if I should take it serious, or give it a few days to see if she stops? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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S.H.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi A.,

My son used to grind his teeth until I started using and essential oil called Peace and Calming. It really works. I just rub a few drops on the bottom of his feet and it works! If you want more info, let me know.

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S.K.

answers from Houston on

Hi there,

If you have seen this once then it has happened more than that. I have a friend that does this and she had to get a guard for her teeth so she wouldn't rub the enamel off. Take her to the dentist and get a guard and problem will be solved.

Hope this helped.

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A.M.

answers from Houston on

I have a 5 year old with the same problem. I took her to the dentist and he said that it's not a problem. She still has her baby teeth and there is no wear on her teeth. Either she will out grow it or need a guard in the future. I hope this helps you.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Beaumont on

Wow I totally understand this! I have a 7 year old who has grinded her teeth since she was about 3. We have tried everthing to get it to stop. She never took a pacifier so we knew this wasn't the problem. She also has night terrors, and sleepwalks. The doctor checked her for worms because he said this can also be a problem with teeth grinding. She had her tonsils and adnoids removed. He said we could go get her a nightguard from the denstist so we went to one. The dentist was worried because she has worn down all her baby teeth so much. He said it really wasn't a big deal till she got her perm. Teeth. Well she got them and he suggested a mouth gard like the football players wear. He said nightguards were really expensive and her teeth are changing so much that he wouldn't recommend one yet. So we have gone through about 13 mouthgards in 4 years. That is less than 20 dollars compared to over 100. I personally suggest a mouthgard. They have kid sizes also! Good luck, I can't stand that sound it makes!

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M.P.

answers from Austin on

My son, who is now 15, did grind his teeth as a toddler. When he stopped using his pacifier, he started grinding his teeth. The dentist watched his teeth at our six month check ups, and said he was fine. I would make an appointment with the dentist to see, but although it sounded terrible when he did it, he did no long term damage. Good luck!

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L.H.

answers from Houston on

My teeth grinding didn't go away. I now have dentures at age 47. They have a guard to sleep in and I wish I'd have known that years ago. Talk to your dentist. It may go away. It may not.

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C.V.

answers from Houston on

A.,

My daughter has been grinding her teeth since she was very young, also. I have heard from both her Ped and dentist that this is not to worry about. It occurrs intermittently and should go away as she grows up. If you are really concerned, talk to her doctor and they should be able to give you more information about it.

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H.H.

answers from Houston on

I've never experienced this with a child, but I've always been a teeth clencher. This has led to TMJ and many headaches.
If I were you, I would talk to her pedi and dentist.
**ETA I just read other responses, and those articles. It doesn't sound like something to be concerned about! I would still mention it to the dentist, though.

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V.H.

answers from Houston on

Take her to the dentist to make sure she is not damaging her teeth. If she is the dentist will help you with remedies. My son grinded his baby teeth to almost nothing and have to have them extracted when they were ready to come out. So start early with the dentist!! (p.s. my sons permanant teeth are beautiful)

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S.R.

answers from Houston on

I am a former teeth grinder. When I was younger I did it all the time, I can remember my mother asking me when I would wake up, "Does your mouth hurt?" She said the way I would grind my teeth sounded painful.

The great news is I did grow out of it.

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H.P.

answers from Corpus Christi on

Teeth grinding in my expierience is a result from stress. So there may be something in her life that she finds stressful. They make mouth gaurds for that for adults, but I'm not sure if they make them in pediatric sizes. It would be worth looking into. You can also talk with her dentist and see what he has to say. Best of luck teeth grinding is so nasty, it just makes me cringe.

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R.M.

answers from Houston on

You've received lots of good advice. One thing to add to it.........teeth grinding is common when a yeast infection is present or, if it's not obviously an issue, but the fungal/yeast count is getting out of control compared to the beneficial bacteria. Probiotics such as acidopholus increase the number of beneficial bacteria and help to balance things out.

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L.B.

answers from Corpus Christi on

You need to talk with your dentist about this. This can be very serious for her teeth. Also check with your daughter's Dr. they may be of help also. As adults if we do this we can break teeth or even loosen them. Think of how much pressure there is behind those teeth when the bite down, that is what she is doing to her own teeth.

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L.H.

answers from Killeen on

Hi A.,,,
Maybe just give the Dentist or DR a call see what they say,,i do know lots of people do it.
Good Luck L.

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T.B.

answers from Killeen on

Give it a few days if it does not stop take her to the dentist they can give you a gaurd are something to help

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J.B.

answers from San Antonio on

Does your daughter have allergies or a sinus infection? Our family dentist says this is a major cause of teeth grinding in young children.

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K.I.

answers from Houston on

I actually do this when I'm stressed. I have a mouthguard for it. You should keep an eye on her, and see if it continues. If she keeps doing it when she gets her permanant teeth, I'd definantly take her to the doctor or dentist to see what they recommend. Good luck!

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D.R.

answers from Austin on

Hi A.,

My son and daughter did the same thing at around four years of age. Their pediatric dentist told me it was normal...that this exfoliates the teeth. I quit worrying about it and they stopped doing it after a while.
Good Luck!

D.

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P.D.

answers from San Antonio on

I would definitely not ignore the problem b/c it may not go away. Teeth grinding is something very common and is a way for your body to de-stress at night. I know it sounds silly that a 4 year old experiences any ind of stress - but all humans do no matter the age. My husband has been grinding his teeth basically all his life. He does have a special mouth guard to wear at night b/c grinding is incredibly bad for your teeth. I would ask her dentist and see if any action needs to take place this early on. Good luck and keep us posted.

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A.J.

answers from Killeen on

I used to grind my teeth all the time when I was a teenager, I was getting migraines from doing it every night while I slept. I figured out once I hit adulthood that I did it b/c I was very stressed at home b/c of my mother. I don't want to alarm you, but you should consider that your daughter might be upset about something. Maybe something has recently changed in her life that is causing her stress? Maybe you should talk to her and ask her if she is also having nightmares, and if she is upset about something.

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Y.G.

answers from San Antonio on

My son use to do the same thing. He started doing this at the age of 3 and recently has stopped at the age of 5 1/2. I also was concerned about this so when we had our dentist check up I mentioned it and the dentist's response was that sometimes they grow out of it and if not the dentist should notice on the follow up visits. But he gave me an excerise to try to tire out his jaw so at night he wouldn't grind his teeth. He said let him chew sugar free gum at least for 45 minutes prior to bedtime. If your daughter can handle this without swallowing the gum I say try it. It worked for us. And now my son doesn't grind his teeth at night.

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