The clenching and grinding of a child’s teeth during sleep, which is referred to as bruxism, affects about 30 percent of kids in the United States. While children tend to outgrow this issue, it can do some damage and cause discomfort. In many cases, bruxism is caused by external factors and you, as a parent, can take an active role in treating these issues. Pediatric dentists in Encinitas can also help alleviate these symptoms once you book an appointment.

Teething
Children continue to grow teeth until they are 12 or 13 years old, which means that they are constantly teething. A teething child is more likely to grind his teeth because of the discomfort that it creates. In most cases, this type of bruxism will fix itself once the tooth comes through the gums.

Tooth Alignment
When a child has a mixture of adult and baby teeth, they will not align properly inside of the mouth. This can lead to grinding because there will be gaps in various places in the mouth. This, once again, is nothing to worry about because the child is likely to stop grinding once all of her adult teeth arrive.

Stress Levels
A stressed or nervous child could suffer from bruxism. When a child is stressed during the day, he will often carry this stress when he goes to sleep at night, leading to tooth grinding. Pediatric dentists in Encinitas recommend that you do whatever it takes to reduce your child’s emotional stress during the day, as this will help with the grinding problem at night.

Dentist Appointment
A pediatric dentist can help to manage the dental effects, such as chipped teeth and worn enamel, that are brought on by bruxism. Carlsbad Children’s Dentistry has a team of experienced pediatric dentists who can help you to manage everything that goes along with grinding teeth. Make an appointment by calling 760-633-1131.