Question:
My 5 year old grinds her teeth in her sleep, bad. She's done it for a long
time, but its starting to get unbearable for me to be in a room with her
while she's sleeping. It makes *my* jaw hurt! Her dad and I have both had
some jaw problems, and it was recommended that I get a mouth guard some time
ago for teeth grinding, it was never discussed again after I got my braces
off last year, but I think I haven't done the grinding since my teeth have
been realigned. I plan on making a dentist's appointment for her as soon as
I can, but in the mean time, is it something to be worried about?
Answer:
I have TMJ from that. It used to not be so bad, but it is getting
progressively worse. I've seen people who've worn down their permanent
teeth to near stubble. Yes, I'd be concerned, but it's not an emergency.
I wouldnt worry only about her jaw..but also her teeth.
My son is a grinder and has no enamel on his teeth .
Do they still sell mouthguards for sports players? Are they small enough for
her jaw?
The heavier thickness mouthguards, not the thin plastic tooth-whitener types.
When my teenaged son was younger, he was a grinder. I remember sleeping in the
next room and laying awake at night in fear that he would break his teeth.
Rather than order and pay hundreds of dollars for a mouthpiece, the dentist
recommended trying a sports mouthguard, which worked well. We never did have to
get the expensive mouthpiece, and he stopped grinding.
My 3 year old grinds her teeth. The dental hygienist told me very recently that
alot of toddlers do that, and although the reason is unknown, it's believed to
have something to do with teeth growing. She made a note to talk about it at our
next visit in six months and told me to monitor my 3 year old.
