my 3 yr. old son grins his teeth when hes sleeping what should i do?

Question

SHOULD I SEE A DENTIST

Answer 1

Teeth grinding can be a stress reaction. I find that the most helpful things are:

Extra magnesium in the diet - blueberries, spinach (we use an organic blueberry and cranberry drink that my kids love)

Epsom Salt bath - has magnesium in it and can be very soothing before bedtime

Lavender Oil (http://www.mynsp.com/carole/products/guide.aspx?stockNum=3907 ) on the feet at bed time - put a drop or 2 in your palm with a drop of olive oil and rub it into the feet to help relax at bed time. I mix it with a product called Lobelia Essence instead of olive oil: http://www.mynsp.com/carole/products/guide.aspx?stockNum=1765

Olive oil on the back - directly on the skin, below the ribs on the back gets essential fatty acids to the adrenal glands to soothe and calm

Any extra B Vitamins that you can get into him the better. Odwalla has some great natural juices with extra vitamin B that are delicious.

You might want to see a dentist, but I think you will have luck with some of these things first - then the child will lose his baby teeth and the problem will hopefully be solved before the adult teeth come in (around 5 or 6).

Peace!

PS - I gotta say, they gave me a mouth tray "positioner" in my teens instead of a retainer when I got my braces off and I hated it. If I could force myself to sleep with it in it always came out while I slept and ended up under the bed - it was nasty. I'd be very surprised if they had a product that a 3 yr old could tolerate and use consistently.

Answer 2

Hmm. 20 answers and 15 are absolutely wrong. At least there are other dental professionals who know what they are talking about. Please pick out those and ignore the rest.

DO NOT GET A BITE APPLIANCE MADE FOR A YOUNG CHILD!!!

I can not state emphatically enough that you should never, ever consider getting (or making) an appliance to stop tooth grinding in a young child. This would stop proper growth and development of the jaw where the appliance is worn.

It is my opinion that baby teeth are designed to be worn away as the jaws grow and develop. This allows for different growth rates and it allows for the accommodation of the permanent teeth with their much more pronounced cusp forms when they start to come in.

You may wish to ask your dentist to check for underlying problems, but 99% of the time - if not more - this is just part of being a three year old.

Answer 3

A three year old wearing a mouth guard? right. just try to keep that in while he sleeps. unrealistic and not necessary

No really, I'm a dental assistant

Children grind during their sleep for different reasons but mainly when they are cutting new teeth or have a mixed dentition meaning that they have both permanent and primary teeth. grinding is most certainly not uncommon or need for alarm.

However regular visits to the dental office should be every six months for a exam and cleaning. Share your concern with your dentist then.

Answer 4

yes, at three years old, u should make the trip to the dentist, if u cant get an early enough appointment, u can go to your local pharmacy and buy a teeth guard, but i would check with the pharmacist or call the consumer hotline first to see if it doesnt present a choking hazard to young children, better yet, you should ask the dental office when u make the appointment. For the teeth he has now, i wouldnt worry to much about his damaging them, but this could turn into a habit that might ruin his replacement set as he gets older.

Answer 5

Many kids grind their teeth and it is harmless. But, children should start seeing their dentist for regular check-ups by the age of 3 anyway, so go ahead and take him. The grinding is normal.

Answer 6

yeah go and see then dentist. I have a friend that did that when she was younger and now her teeth are very small. the dentist can give him something to put in his mouth while sleeping so he doesnt hurt his teeth while grinding.

Answer 7

Possibly a dentist or a regular doctor. they'll probably tell you it's stress or nervous twitch when he's sleeping from nightmares or dreams. There are medicines and guards for that in regular stores, but a doctor could let you know which kind you need.

Answer 8

there are devices that you can get to stop teeth grinding. I used to do it but I got one and now I am fine. I am sure a dentist would be able to get you one for a child. It is better to do it sooner then later because it could possibly cause permanent damage to his jaws.

Answer 9

I do the same thing. The dentist is just going to tell you to go to your local store (Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Rite-Aid, Duane Reade etc.) and buy a night guard. It's just a mouth guard that prevents you from clenching your jaw too tightly and prevents any possible grinding. It's really soft, so it wont hurt him. It just takes some getting used to.

Answer 10

you should definitely see a dentist and he will probably tell u to get a night guard which is basically something that fits ur mouth and u can wear it a night so when u grind, it protects ur teeth. GOOD LUCK!!!