Teeth Grinding in Toddlers

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.