1 Year Old Grinding Teeth

I remember that terrible noise well. There's not much you can do to make him stop, just try really hard to ignore it. Like everything else with a toddler, the more attention it gets the more he will do it.

Hi there! My daughter went through this phase too at around the same age. It was a horrible sound to listen to! But I talked to my doctor about it, and she said that this is just one of those things kids do because they're learning about their bodies. All of a sudden, they become aware that there are teeth in their mouths - they're curious because they weren't always there and they need to discover what all of this means. When they grind them, they are learning things - like they make this really cool sound! And that they are a hard surface. Etc, etc.

Don't worry, it is completely normal and is a phase your child will pass through relatively quickly. I think they soon realize how terribly annoying that grinding sound is too! : )

ARrrggggghhh...my son grinded his teeth until he was about 5 years old. He would do it while he was sleeping and when I caught him, I would gently squeeze his jaw until he would stop. We had made several trips to the dentist for regular visits and the dentist was not concerned but said, if he continued well into the permanent tooth stage, we would address it. Luckily it stopped but it did sound so bad. I would discuss this with your dentist and see what his advise is. Good luck!

I feel (hear) your pain! I posted a similar question a while back because one of my daughters is a teeth grinder - she's 24 months now but she had been doing it almost as soon as she got teeth. Honestly, the more I tried to get her to stop the more she would do it. Based on everyone's advice and after checking with my pediatrician, I backed off and eventually she stopped doing it. Every now and then I catch grinding a little but for the most part she has stopped. It could just be a phase because it's a new sensation or believe it or not, it could be stress. In any case, give it some time and he may stop on his own.

I completely agree with Laura D. We had the same type of experience with my second son. I want to say it ended up being only a couple weeks that he grinded his teeth ALL the time. Then he completely stopped after a month or two. The peds said not to worry about it for now when I told him. He said with most kids it does not last long at all because they are just exploring the new teeth in their mouth, and what they can do with them. The novelty generally wears off fairly quickly. Best wishes!

Our son is 6 and still grinds his teeth. The dentist told us that he should stop once his baby teeth are all out. He said at this point, it's nothing to worry about.

Vibrating chew-toy thingies might be helpful for the oral fixation. A battery-operated toothbrush or a jiggle-pen would also work. My daughter is a fiend for sensory input and these have all provided some relief.

My son did it at the same age for a few weeks and then stopped. I think I also read somewhere that it can feel good to them because it puts pressure on emerging teeth. Agree with you about the sound, though! Sometimes I would calmly say, "Don't do that, honey" and he would sometimes stop, but mostly I ignored it.

My son did the same thing, he grew out of it quickly, although every once in a while he'd do it again. It's a new sound and sensation for them and the novelty will wear off. Until then,I think you have to grin and bear it. Good luck!

Watch to make sure it is not just a curiosity phase. I have been a tooth grinder since I was little and it can cause problems for your teeth if it is done over a long period of time. If it's a stage, fine, but if it continues, get to a dentist.

Make a call to the baby dentist. Even though the teeth are baby teeth, they should be protected.