A popular question I ask during some of my consultations is - 

Does your child grind their teeth?

As with all my consultations I like to look at the full picture and piece everything together to help parents find a solution to their child's challenges.

Why children grind their teeth.

Nobody knows for sure why children grind their teeth.

There can be a number of reasons.

Lets explore some possible reasons:

• Their top and bottom teeth aren’t lined up. A dentist can double check this.

• They have pain somewhere else in their bodies.

• They’re stressed/ anxious. Feeling unwell or have a change in routine. 

• Child may have a negative experience with illness -so tense their body. 

• They may be deficient in minerals or vitamins (possibly zinc)

• It can be sensory related -looking at a child's environment to check it is not over stimulating may help

• Teeth grinding can occur as a result of a clenched jaw. Child becomes disorganised and shuts down and limits their jaw.

• Teeth grinding can be medical. (Child may have oral motor delay). An OT can assess for this.

• Some child teeth grind in their sleep.  If your child grinds their teeth and snores loudly, breathes with their mouth open, or chokes or gasps while they’re asleep, it’s a good idea to see your GP. This can help rule out issues like sleep apnoea.

• Some children grind their teeth during the day because they enjoy the feeling.

In most cases, it’s likely to be just a childhood habit your children will grow out of.

I have known many who just stop one day.

Try and be a detective -work out when your child is doing it -what he's doing ?, and how often ?, what is he doing when he's not doing it? We can then support them when we know more.