Preventing Teeth Damage When Grinding Teeth During Sleep

Re: Grinding teeth while sleeping
Asked by ElaineR

Question:
 

Any ideas in how to get a twelve year old to stop grinding her teeth in her sleep.  I have spoke to the dentist about it but didn't get any advice.  Her adult teeth molars are  not in yet but you can see the damage down on her milk teeth.  Her dental bills will be huge unless we find a way to stop it.  Help!!

My Advice:

 

Teeth grinding or Bruxism is the habit of grinding teeth, grating, or clenching teeth. For older kids and adults, this usually happens at night during sleep so most of us are unaware of it. And for some of us, the only way we find out is when a dentist points it out.

I’ve been grinding my teeth since I was a child and remember being woken up by people because my grinding keeps them awake. During a dentist visit while I was in high-school, my new dentist asked if I grinded my teeth at night. I told him I know I used to, but not anymore. He said the edges of my teeth were so smoothed out; it was obvious that I’ve been grinding my teeth for a very long time. Why this was never mentioned to me by other dentists I’ve seen over the years, I don’t know.

My dentist then took a mold of my upper teeth and made me a custom night guard. He told me to wear it before going to bed so that when I grind my teeth, I would be wearing out the night guard instead of my teeth. He actually made me two: one that is fairly thin, and a thicker one. I was to start wearing the thing one first and if it wears out in a short amount of time, and then I was to start wearing the thicker one. The dentist told me that he has had patients who come back to him with their night guard looking like a dog has chewed on it.

Custom night guards are of course more costly than buying a commercial one. There are night guards available in stores (and online) that people can get. They are similar to mouth guards used by athletes (boxers, football players, etc). My husband and I have used athletic mouth guards during our years in Karate. You boil it (it comes with instructions) for a certain amount of time, and let it cool for a second and then bite into it. It molds to your teeth.

Athletic mouth guards are more common commercially, than night guards, but don’t resort to using them as night guards. They are much thicker and much more uncomfortable.

If you wear a night guard, remember to inspect it regularly for signs of wear. This will let you know to what extent you grind your teeth and which area of your teeth you grind. It’s also great to let your dentist (or your child’s dentist) so that you can keep a close eye on that part of the mouth.

Long term teeth-grinding can result to problems; the most obvious one being teeth damage (too much wear and fractures). But it can also lead to facial and jaw pain, headaches,  etc.

PLEASE NOTE: If you suspect teeth-grinding with your children, consult a dentist/doctor first before deciding to get night guard.

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