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Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is the act of unconsciously grinding or clenching your upper and lower teeth together. And, about a third of all kids grind their teeth at some point during their childhood.

Infants, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly are all perceptible to it, so why does it happen? How can you stop the habit before it does any damage?

What to Look For

Since teeth grinding is done unconsciously and mostly at night, knowing if your child or teenager is doing it is half the battle.

The most common giveaways are if they complain of a sore jaw, tooth sensitivity or if they often find evidence of having bitten the inside of their cheek. Another symptom is a constant, dull headache.

In severe, uncorrected cases, it can wear away your child’s primary and permanent teeth or cause their teeth to misalign. If misalignment is left unchecked, then it can lead to gum disease.

Common Causes of Teeth Grinding

An infant grinding their teeth is natural once enough teeth erupt to touch together. The phenomenon of having teeth is a new to your baby, so seeing what they can do is normal.

Children getting their permanent teeth will often do the same thing, since one cause of bruxism is gum discomfort.

Bruxism can also be brought on by stress, sleep disorders, earaches or as a side effect of certain medications.

What You Can Do

If your child is grinding their teeth while they’re in the process of getting their primary or permanent teeth, then don’t worry. Children generally stop on their own with no damage to their teeth.

In the meantime, to treat any discomfort as a result of bruxism, put a warm washcloth on your child’s cheek in front of their earlobe before bedtime to relax their muscles. You can try the same thing with a warm washcloth over their entire face.

At their next dentist checkup, tell your child’s doctor about the grinding or clenching so that they can pay special attention in the future to any signs of excessive wear or fractures. If your child is showing serious signs of teeth grinding, then immediately call your dentist. Then, the dentist may fit them with a mouthguard or a dental splint.

Both fit over your child’s upper or lower teeth and are worn at night to protect their teeth from being damaged.

When goals are broken down into small steps, they just seem easier to achieve! And since our focus is on keeping your child’s mouth healthy, this blog outlines 3 easy steps to do just that.

And, these tips aren’t just for kids. Both you and your child can reap the benefits of this dental advice!

1. Help your child make brushing their teeth a habit!

As it becomes a habit, ensure their brushing technique is getting those pearly whites as clean as possible.

The “brush twice a day” rule is standard. But what many people don’t know is rinsing your mouth with water afterward is not recommended. Rinsing washes away leftover fluoride from your toothpaste, which is good for your teeth.

If your child needs more incentive to brush, check out Brush DJ! It’s a free toothbrush timer application that takes music from the user’s device and plays it for 2 minutes.

2. Reduce the number of sugary and acidic beverages your child drinks. And whenever they do drink a soda or juice, require them to use a straw.

Straws limit the contact these unhealthy treats have with teeth. While your molars will still experience some exposure, the rest of your teeth will be better protected. After you or your child finishes a sugary drink, always remember to wash it down with water!

3. Don’t forget to schedule checkups with your favorite dentist at Dentistry for Children and Adolescents once every six months.

Regular checkups and cleanings will keep your child’s mouth healthy and ready for a lifetime of confident smiles. Our staff is dedicated to making both your child’s and your dentistry experience a pleasant one.

Using mouthwash is an effective practice for killing bacteria, removing plaque and loosening bits of food that have gotten stuck in your child’s teeth. But, there are also negative factors to consider about the use of mouthwash.

Many adults use some version of oral rinse, and it’s natural for children to want to emulate their parents or older siblings. The contents that make mouthwash so effective are also the components that can damage your child’s dental health.

It’s vital to remember that tooth development is a sensitive process. To keep that development going safely, know all the facts and really consider if your child is ready to use mouthwash.

Mouthwash Can Be Hazardous

Children from ages 6-12 should only use mouthwash with clear directions on its use and while under adult supervision.

• If a child tries to use mouthwash and doesn’t know how to or isn’t able to spit it back out, the situation could be serious. Mouthwash can contain denatured or methyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or menthol.

Effects from ingesting those chemicals can range from an upset stomach to vomiting, or worse.

• A cosmetic consequence of children using mouthwash too early or too often is fluorosis. Fluorosis is the streaking, spotting or pitting of a child’s permanent teeth during development under the gums. It only affects children younger than 8 years old.

Recommended Best Practices

• The best way to evaluate if your child is ready to use mouthwash is to perform a water swish test. Give them a small cup of water and ask them to swish it around their mouth and spit it back out.

If they can successfully complete this test, they might be ready to add mouthwash to their dental care routine.

• Some older children may want to start using mouthwash as another way to keep their teeth clean around their braces. If they can perform the water swish test, then it’s OK to let them use mouthwash.
• Tell your child not to use mouthwash right after they brush their teeth. Doing so rinses any fluoride from toothpaste off their teeth. Instruct your child to let the fluoride from toothpaste do its job, even if they use a fluoride mouthwash.

Halloween is a fun day to dress up and interact with your community, but it also encourages unhealthy eating habits. The hordes of sweets children get while trick-or-treating are mainly teeth-damaging, sugary candies.

In those candies is sucrose, a type of sugar generally found in sweet or sticky foods. Sucrose is generally blamed for sugar-related tooth decay. However, children look forward to this opportunity to dress up in costumes and go out for weeks or even months.

We've compiled lists of tooth-friendly snacks before, but this is our first Halloween edition! So, here is our list of healthier options to hand out this year.

Help fight tooth decay and try replacing your home’s candy stash with these Halloween candy alternatives.

• Sugar-free gum takes the number one spot. Not only is sugar-free gum regularly encouraged by dental health professionals, it’s also a hit with everyone, from kids to adults.

• Trail mix is something that you can buy in small packages and is perfect for handing out. It’s also a food that has something for everyone – raisins, nuts, granola and chocolate are all found in bags.

• Raisins come in snack-sized boxes, and have been found to actually help fight cavities. Plus, they’re delicious!

• YumEarth Organics Fruit Snacks are vegan and aren’t sticky like traditional fruit gummies but are still full of flavor. They don’t contain gluten, dairy, nuts, soy or artificial colors or dyes.

• Finally, if you want to stand out this All Hallows’ Eve, give out festive trinkets instead of food items. Check out spooky temporary tattoos, Silly Bandz, stickers, fake fangs or glow sticks.