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2]Ta-);<-:67:-/768):-6< Bruxism and kids: When sleeping becomes a grind LJ</D'>KsZ͕Z͘͘,͘ Have you ever walked past your child’s bedroom on a quiet night and heard an awful noise? While some kids are sleeping soundly, their jaws are hard at work … grind- ŝŶŐƚĞĞƚŚ͘>Ğƚ͛ƐůŽŽŬĂƚƚŚŝƐĂůŝƩůĞ closer. Why does this hap- pen? We don’t always know. Research indicates ƚŚĂƚŚLJƉĞƌĂĐƟǀĞĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ and kids with certain ŵĞĚŝĐĂůĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐƐƵĐŚ as cerebral palsy are more likely to grind their teeth. Some doctors say stress and anxiety also contribute to grinding (bruxism). Kids may grind their ƚĞĞƚŚǁŚŝůĞĐƵƫŶŐŶĞǁ teeth, which happens from about age six months to two years, and again around age six to twelve years. Is it common? Yes. Anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of kids grind their teeth at some point during HEATHER A. BACON, PH.D. & JENNIFER K. COOPER, PSY.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologists Helping parents discover new ways to shape behavior and reconnect with children. Currently accepting new patients. Most insurance and private pay accepted. 860 W. Elm Ave., Suite 204, Hermiston, OR 97838 541-289-7777 • hermistonpsych.com childhood; usually while sleeping. DŽƐƚŬŝĚƐŽƵƚŐƌŽǁƚŚŝƐďLJƚŚĞŝƌ teens. Is it harmful?^ŽŵĞƟŵĞƐŬŝĚƐ͛ teeth actually chip and become ƐŚŽƌƚĞƌĂƐƚŚĞLJŐƌŝŶĚ͘dŚŝƐĐĂŶĂīĞĐƚ a child’s bite and, in some cases, the bite may need to be corrected with ŽƌƚŚŽĚŽŶƟĐƐ͘^ŽŵĞ extreme grinders may need to have ĮůůŝŶŐƐĚŽŶĞŽƌƌĞ- placed as they grind their teeth shorter; in other cases, a tooth or two may need a crown. Don’t forget that baby molars ŶĞĞĚƚŽůĂƐƚƵŶƟůĂŐĞ ten or twelve to save space for permanent teeth to come in. It is important to keep the baby teeth in ŐŽŽĚĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ͘ Can this hurt my child’s jaw muscles or cause headaches? You ďĞƚ͊ŶLJƟŵĞŵƵƐĐůĞƐĂƌĞĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚ- ed over and over, it can cause sore muscles. (Imagine doing biceps curls ĂůůŶŝŐŚƚʹLJŽƵǁŽƵůĚǁĂŬĞƵƉƉƌĞƩLJ sore.) Sore jaw and facial muscles from grinding teeth can lead to headaches and earaches. dƌLJƚŚŝƐƚŽĮŶĚƚŚĞŵƵƐĐůĞƐ involved in clenching and grind- ŝŶŐƚĞĞƚŚ͗ƚĂŬĞLJŽƵƌĮŶŐĞƌƟƉƐĂŶĚ hold them on the sides of your face, about 1-2 inches in front of your ears, and below the jaw joint. Clench your teeth over and over, and you should feel the masseter ŵƵƐĐůĞƐŇĞdž͘EŽǁƚƌLJƚŚŝƐŝŶƚŚĞ temple area, between where your eyebrows end and your hairline ďĞŐŝŶƐ͘dŚĞŵƵƐĐůĞƐŇĞdžƚŚĞƌĞ͕ƚŽŽ͘ If you press those areas, do they feel tender? If so, you may be grind- )DPLO\ Health ing or clenching your teeth in your sleep, too. What can be done about it? A ĐĂůŵŝŶŐƌŽƵƟŶĞďĞĨŽƌĞĂŶĚĂƚďĞĚ- ƟŵĞŵĂLJŚĞůƉŝŵƉƌŽǀĞƐůĞĞƉĂŶĚ ƌĞĚƵĐĞŐƌŝŶĚŝŶŐ͘DĂƐƐĂŐĞŚĂƐďĞĞŶ proven to improve sleep quality, so LJŽƵĐĂŶŐŝǀĞLJŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚĂůŝƩůĞďĂĐŬ- ƌƵďĂƚďĞĚƟŵĞ͘ŽŶ͛ƚĨŽƌŐĞƚƚŽĚŽ a gentle massage for the facial and ũĂǁŵƵƐĐůĞƐŵĞŶƟŽŶĞĚĂďŽǀĞ͘ What about a nightguard to protect the teeth? Teens and adults ĐĂŶǁĞĂƌƉůĂƐƟĐŶŝŐŚƚŐƵĂƌĚƐ;ĂǀĂŝů- able at the drugstore and custom- ŵĂĚĞĨƌŽŵLJŽƵƌĚĞŶƚĂůŽĸĐĞͿƚŽ prevent teeth from being damaged ǁŚŝůĞŐƌŝŶĚŝŶŐ͘hŶƟůƚŚĞĂŐĞŽĨ twelve or so, kids are losing their baby teeth and their permanent teeth are growing in. This makes it almost impossible to get a custom- ŵĂĚĞŶŝŐŚƚŐƵĂƌĚƚŽĮƚĨŽƌǀĞƌLJůŽŶŐ͘ Besides, wearing a nightguard can be a real choking hazard for a child, so they are usually not recommend- ed for younger kids. Nothing good can come of tooth grinding, can it? Actually, some researchers think that jaw bones grow stronger and wider during the process of tooth grinding. So it may help your child develop a nice, wide smile. ƐŬLJŽƵƌĚĞŶƟƐƚĂƚLJŽƵƌĐŚŝůĚ͛Ɛ next checkup if you are concerned about your child’s tooth grinding. ________ <ŝŵ'ůŽǀĞƌŝƐĂZĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚĞŶƚĂů ,LJŐŝĞŶŝƐƚĂƚƌŽĂĚǁĂLJ&ĂŵŝůLJĞŶ- ƚĂůĂƌĞ;ǁǁǁ͘ďǁĂLJĚĞŶƚĂů͘ĐŽŵͿŝŶ Milton-Freewater.
