Submitted by: Chasecl Austin

Bruxism is a condition in which children grind or clench their teeth while they sleep.Anxiety, frustration, and stress can trigger the condition in children. This condition in children is harmless and clears by itself over time. If bruxism becomes severe, there are several treatment options.

Anxiety, stress and hyperactivity are common tendencies seen in children with bruxism. Bruxism and upper airway blockage in children are inter connected.

Difficulty in breathing while sleeping is also caused by enlarged tonsils. These enlarged adenoids or tonsils obstruct the airway. One notable thing is that this children breath through the mouth. Increased activities like jaw, teeth and chewing are thought to cause arousals during sleep. Severe bruxism in children is a lead cause of frequent arousals and disturbance of daytime functioning.

In order to have an open airway and ease the breathing, children tend to pull there jaw forward. This will end up in the child clenching the teeth because of stimulation of the receptors in the upper airway.

While mouth breathing and snoring are common in children, most parents do not consider it to be a serious matter.

Children under the age of 5 are more prone to developing the condition than older children. By the time they reach 10 years, most children outgrow bruxism in most cases. When children have misaligned teeth, they are more likely to grind or clench their teeth, which happens when they are deep asleep.

Chipped and sensitive teeth as a result of bruxism in children should be treated seriously because it can eventually lead to eroding enamel. In cases where a child suffers from chronic bruxism, temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ) can develop.

Children experiencing bruxism may complain of a sore jaw when they first awake. Biting on objects such as pencils or fingernail biting could be a pointer that you child could be suffering from bruxism as they also tend to bite the inside of their cheeks.

There seems to be no direct link on children and bruxism. If a child got upset or angry during the day, this might show as signs of bruxism when they are asleep. Bruxism can also be a response to pain a child may be feeling. Babies who are teething may develop the condition. Hyperactive children are at a high risk of developing bruxism.

There is no cause for worrying about bruxism because children will always outgrow it.Children’s teeth and jaw are still at the developing stage and though bruxism could be common, there would be no emergency in seeking for treatment. If the clenching or grinding persists, it is advisable to let the child wear a night guard.

In all children who grind between the ages of 3 and 10, more than half will stop on their own by age 13. The case is different when it comes to teenagers as the cause determines how long bruxism lasts. But if caused by dental problem, then it should clear after the treatment, which could be within days.

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