Being the father of four children I can tell you first hand that the noise of a child grinding their teeth is like the sound of dragging your nails on a chalk board!  

Teeth grinding or bruxism is surprisingly common in children under five years of age. About 38 % of children grind their teeth, according to a 2005  study in the Journal of Dentistry for Children.  Children can start grinding at around the age of 3 or 3 ½  years of age.  Usually a toddler will stop grinding her teeth by the age of six.  Although no one knows for sure what causes it, some possible culprits are stress, pain associated with teething, earache pain, improper alignment of the teeth and or jaw and allergies.   In most  cases teeth grinding in a toddler is not harmful and  is not anything to be to concerned about.  If a parent is concerned or a child complains of pain during the day contact a dentist.  The dentist will check for potential problems such as cavities, fractured teeth, swollen gums and other possible dental concerns.

Although the noise of a toddler grinding their teeth is traumatizing to their parents ears, a vast majority stop grinding on their own within just a few years.

My hygienist, receptionists and I are asked this question everyday.  There is some confusion between a prophy (regular cleaning)  and  periodontal scaling (deep cleaning)  A prophylaxis  is when stain,  plaque and calculus is removed from the surface of the tooth. A deep cleaning or scaling is the process where plaque (bacteria and food mixture) and calculus (mineralized plaque deposits) are removed from both above and below the gumline.  The root surface just under the gum is also cleaned of any plaque or calculus, resulting in a smooth, sleek surface.

In my dental office a patient is usually numb for a root planning procedure so that the appointment is completely comfortable.  This may require the use of a topical anesthetic such as Oraquix or Cetacaine spray or a small injection at the gum.

Deep Scaling is one of the best treatments to fight gum disease.  Sadly, gum disease often has no major symptoms but can do significant damage the supporting structures of the teeth which ultimately can cause bone and tooth loss!

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