Teeth Grinding - West Point, NY

Both of my kids did that too...the more I brought attention to it, the more they did it. Ignore it, eventually it will stop.

W.:

There is nothing to make her stop. Its something kids do. who knows why or if we will know the answer. My son is 11 months and does it all the time. I am a dental hygienist and know there is nothing i can do. It also helps eleviate some of the teething pain they are feeling. the pressure feels good.

Hope this helped

All my kids and grandkids did that when they were young. It's almost like the teeth are new toys to play with. They all stopped by the time they were 2 yrs old.

Long term grinding can cause lots of dental problems but I don't think you need to worry at 8 months.

W.,
My son did that too. New teeth are interesting and just have to be played with. Did you ever have braces? The first day that you had them, you put your tongue on them, and looked in the mirror. It was something new. The same thing is happening inside your son's mouth. He has to play with them, and feel how they work. It will soon pass, though. Don't worry. Just like the other mothers wrote, it will end before he gets his adult teeth, and maybe even by age 2.

I am a grinder. The first time my husband heard me do it, it freaked him out. I don't have any problems. When she gets a little older have her eat apples. The dentist told me that it makes your jaw tired and you won't grind them. To me it's not a big deal. I have been doing it since I was a kid and my teeth are fine. I go for my normal check ups and cleanings and have no problems. Don't worry.

I have grinded, my kids grind. Yeah, it causes issues with your teeth & any dental work. I have not been able to stop it in my children. I didn't actually try because I know I won't be able to get them to stop. When I was younger I wore a mouth guard at night. Not comfy so I stopped. We just require more dental work than others. I do not believe it is caused by stress. My kids are very carefree and happy - they just grind. Talk to your dentist too.

A.

My daughter did when she was younger. Took her to a kid's specialist...dentist. He said most of us do grind our teeth in
our sleep. There are a lot of reason we do. I know...sounds like sandblasting. He told me..."Not to worry about it until
she reach 4.5 - 5 yrs. old. Then they worry about the secondary teeth....and there is a mouth guard you can get for
children/adults who cont. That it is rare for it to cont."
She turned 9 yrs. old this past Oct. and he was right. She did
stop and her secondary teeth are fine.

But it is nerve racking to listen to it!
I was re-assured it sounds worse than it is.
Good luck..
J.

My daughter did the same thing as yours at about the same age. I was worried because the front right tooth has a dent in it where it is worn away on the bottom. When she was grinding I just tried to distract her by playing or singing or talking to her. Now she is 1year and 1 week old and she doesn't do it anymore. A little story...When I was 21 I had TMJ from grinding at night. I had a bite plate to wear at to bed. In the morning I would wake up and it would be on the other side of the room on the floor---guess I would throw it out of my mouth in my sleep! Hopefully, your little guy will outgrow it as well. I hear that most little ones do. Best of luck.

My baby did grind her teeth also, but she stopped on her own. She's now 16 months and has not done it in a long time (I think she was grinding between 5-7months old). It used to bother me a lot bc the sound was awful to hear. I asked my ped about it and she said not to worry a lot of babies grind their teeth. Hopefully yours will stop too.

At eight months I would not worry about it. They are just new, and she is probably trying to feel them out. If it persists, then maybe ask the dentist or your ped about it.

when little ones are teething sometimes they grind them...it feels good(the pressure). Keep an eye one her and odds are she will stop and maybe start again when more teeth come in. I don't think it becomes a major issue unless they grind their teeth in their sleep...and that you wouldn't really be able to stop until she is older...3 of my 5 would grind and all have stopped. Good luck!

Here is what my dentist said about my little one, who is a grinder: Grinding down the baby teeth is just fine unless it gets to the point where it causes tooth pain. In fact, some dentists think it is good, since it seems to help the jaw grow. When she gets her adult molars, if she is still grinding, you will need to get a bite plate for her to wear at night to keep her from grinding down the adult teeth. But for now, there is no health issue involved with grinding baby teeth.

Hi Wendy!

I suggest you get her checked by a chiropractor. No you don't have to get her little neck cracked every week for the rest of her life but babies can become subluxated during birth and a kink in her neck could cause pressure on the base of the skull and, subsequently, the jaw bone. That is what happens to me when I grind. I need to get adjusted every 3-4 weeks to avoid the subluxations that cause my grinding. But if you can correct hers now, before her body as a chance to "adjust itself" around the subluxation, she'll most likely hold the adjustment well.

Of course this is just one possible reason why she might be grinding but it won't hurt to have her checked.

Good luck!