Bruxism is a medical term used for clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth. Many children have it and most outgrow it without lasting problems. Many children grind their teeth after they have fallen asleep during the night. Bruxism is the short-term term used for teeth grinding, which can cause oral health problems, along with the following conditions:
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Other symptoms
The causes vary and various issues trigger it. It is essential to address teeth grinding immediately and use techniques to keep it. Once you suspect that your child is grinding their teeth, be sure to see tmj botox in chicago.
Signs of a child grinding their teeth
Teeth grinding is very common in young children, you may think. An estimated 3 out of 10 kids younger than 5 years old are grinding their teeth. Teeth grinding mostly happens when the child is sleeping, it is a challenge to catch it. There are a few signs that are common indicators of grinding, such as:
- Fractures lines. Craze lines or fractures are tiny hairline cracks that result from teeth grinding.
- Chips in teeth. If the kid’s teeth show chipping, it is due to teeth grinding. The tension causes small pieces of tooth to chip away.
- Worn enamel. The stress of grinding wears down tooth enamel the same way acidic or sugary foods do.
- Jaw pain. Teeth grinding also leads to jaw pain. If the child says they are experiencing pain in their jaw, they might grind their teeth.
- Earaches or unexplained head. Earaches and headaches can have many causes, but if you have ruled out other possibilities, teeth grinding may be the culprit.
- Increased sensitivity. If the child complains of toothache when eating cold or hot foods, they might be grinding their teeth.
While all these signs point to grinding teeth, the easiest way of confirming the theory is listening for yourself. You must wait for the child to fall asleep and listen for the grinding teeth sound. It may sound like squeaking which means the movement aggravated the jaw joints. If that is the case, the child has likely complained of jaw pain. It also helps to know the causes of teeth grinding.
What to do if the child grinds the teeth?
If you wonder how to stop the child from grinding their teeth at night time, you may take a few actions to manage the problem and keep future teeth from grinding. Once you suspect teeth grinding, the best thing to do is to have your child a TMJ Botox in Chicago that identifies tooth damage
Don’t wait to make teeth grinding worse. Schedule to see a dentist in Chicago to address teeth grinding as it can be unhealthy for your children.
