If you have a toddler at home, then you know that toddlers tend to be experts when it comes to ear-splitting noises. Whining, shrieking, repeating the same word a zillion times at top volume…you may sometimes find yourself wondering how such an adorable little person can make such a headache-inducing racket! 🙂
Here’s another drive-you-up-the-wall noise you may have started hearing lately. It’s the sound of your toddler grinding her teeth in her sleep. The sound of grinding teeth is an awful one, to be sure! But for some toddlers, it amounts to more than an obnoxious noise. It’s a persistent problem that may have you starting to worry.
With this article, we’ll explain the causes and symptoms of toddler teeth grinding and clenching. Plus, we have ideas for ways to treat it and how to deal with the problem at home.
Facts About Toddler Teeth Grinding and Clenching
The problem of teeth grinding (known as “bruxism”) is fairly common among toddlers and preschoolers. The Journal of Dentistry for Children estimates that about 38% of toddlers grind or clench their teeth. Most toddlers tend to grind their teeth at night. The problem usually begins around age 3 (although it can begin much earlier, even as early as 1!)
For most toddlers, this habit is short-lived. The vast majority will outgrow it by age 6. However, some toddlers will continue the problem later into childhood. A small percentage will continue to grind their teeth at night as teens and adults.
Causes of Toddler Teeth Grinding and Clenching
There’s no established cause of teeth grinding. Research done over the years points to an array of possible causes. Some are physical, and others are psychological.
Physical causes of toddler teeth grinding include:
- Pain, either from an illness, like an ear infection, or from teething. Teeth grinding is a way that some toddlers cope with the pain in their sleep.
- Improper alignment of the top and bottom teeth (called “malocclusion”).
- Medical issues. These can be everything from dehydration and nutritional deficiencies to allergies and even pinworms!
Psychological causes of toddler teeth grinding are stress and anxiety. For toddlers, this stress can be caused by things like the birth of a new sibling, moving to a new house, weaning from breastfeeding, a change in schedule, etc.
How Toddler Teeth Grinding and Clenching Affects Sleep
It seems like so many things can keep a toddler from sleeping well, doesn’t it? Sleep regressions can affect a toddler’s sleep. So can sleep disorders like (like sleep apnea). And we can add teeth grinding to the list of things that may keep a toddler awake!
Teeth grinding can disrupt sleep and cause your toddler to wake frequently at night. The noise itself can be so loud, it’ll wake your toddler (or even the people in the next room!)! And your toddler’s teeth grinding may cause her to have frequent dull headaches or jaw pain, which may disturb both her nighttime sleep and her naps.
Treating Toddler Teeth Grinding and Clenching
Generally, toddler teeth grinding or clenching isn’t considered a serious problem and doesn’t usually require treatment. (The majority of toddlers outgrow this problem before their permanent teeth come in.)
However, if you’re concerned that your toddler’s teeth grinding is serious, take them to see a dentist. The dentist will be able to evaluate if the teeth grinding is causing any major problems like worn enamel or fractures in the teeth. If necessary, the dentist may prescribe a custom-fitted mouth guard for your toddler to wear at night.
Dealing With Your Toddler’s Teeth Grinding and Clenching At Home
A dentist probably won’t consider your toddler’s teeth grinding or clenching serious enough to treat, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t causing problems at home! So what can you do to help your toddler’s teeth grinding?
First, try to establish the cause of the teeth grinding or clenching. If the problem is physical, treat it as best you can (if the problem is mild) or consider taking your toddler to their pediatrician if you suspect something serious, like an illness or a nutritional deficiency. You can treat pain caused by teething or mild illness with children’s Tylenol. And if your toddler’s teeth grinding or clenching is causing him to have headaches or jaw pain, you can treat those with children’s pain reliever, too.
If you suspect that the teeth grinding is related to stress or anxiety, do what you can to help your toddler relax. Work on establishing a calming bedtime routine, complete with a warm bath, relaxing music, bedtime stories, etc. This can do wonders to help relax your toddler right before she falls asleep.
If your toddler is anxious about something specific, talk through her feelings with her (if she’s old enough to talk) and do your best to provide reassurance. This can be hard with a young toddler, but even repeating what your toddler says back to her (so that she knows you understand) and then repeating a calming phrase like “It’s okay, mommy’s here” again and again can help to ease a toddler’s anxiety. “Toddlerspeak” is an excellent way to communicate with even a younger toddler.
There’s no “cure” for toddler teeth grinding and, unfortunately, no way to prevent it from happening (aside from doing what you can to keep your toddler relaxed!) Like so many other things, your toddler’s teeth grinding is a phase that will probably pass with time and just needs to be “waited out”. If your parenting instincts are telling you it’s more serious than that, however, follow your gut and seek medical help.
Does your toddler grind his teeth at night? What tips do you have on dealing with teeth grinding?
Please be sure to pick up your FREE copy of Toddler Sleep Secrets, our e-Book offering tips to help your toddler sleep better. For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep (babies) or The 5-Step System to Better Toddler Sleep (toddlers). Using a unique approach and practical tools for success, our e-books help you and your baby sleep through the night and nap better. For those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations. With our consultations, you’ll receive a Personalized Sleep Plan® you can feel good about! Sometimes it’s not that you can’t make a plan. Sometimes you’re just too tired to.
DOROTHY KNOUFF says
My 4 yr old grand daughter grinds her teeth in her sleep. No known reason. What can we do to help her. She has a dental appt kin 2 weeks. Thank you.
Nicole Johnson says
@Dorothy I’m sorry your 4 year old granddaughter is grinding her teeth. Besides the tips in the article, there isn’t a “cure” unfortunately. Hopefully the dentist has more tips, but it won’t be surprising if they think it’s normal and nothing to be concerned about. Hang in there and good luck!
Sandi says
My 4 yr old granddaughter does this too. The pediatric dentist told my son that nothing is wrong with her. . She has no stress and is very loved in preschool and is never withdrawn. No health problems what so ever. The dentist said that she should out grow this by 6 yrs old. I’m really hoping that she does
Wright labake says
My daughter of 1year and 8month has been tested to have infection but don’t know the type but have been given an antibiotic to use for her further more the doctor said she has deficiency in iron so have been ask to give her B complex but I noticed since the fever started she’s been grinding her teeth and she cries as she does that T night mostly.
Neosha says
@Wright – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village. I’m sorry to hear that your little girl has been sick. I hope her doctor’s recommendations help her get to feeling better as quickly as possible! Please be sure to mention the teeth grinding to her doctor, if you haven’t already, as this is a new behavior that could also be caused by whatever illness she is working through as mentioned in the article. If this is the cause of the teeth grinding, it will hopefully clear up as she begins to feel better. If it doesn’t clear up as she starts to feel better, you’ll want to work through the other steps in the article to try to figure out what’s causing the teeth grinding in order to try to find a way to eliminate it. Hang in there, Wright, and stop in to see us again whenever you need us!
Laura says
My 3 year old daughter grinds her teeth badly most nights now I only noticed it recently, it sounds awful! I too grind my teeth and have to wear a mouth guard. Could she clench and grind so hard she brakes a tooth? It’s keeoing me awake at night worrying over it
Cheryl Miller says
My son has been riding his teeth for several years, he is now 6. His teeth have repeated been grinder away over time and are now about half what they were. He has lost the bottom center two and the permanent teeth are growing in. This is making the top ones much shorter. He wakes up at night, every night. The pediatric dentist he has seen for years still will not order a mouth guard. Any ideas? Cheryl
Janelle Reid says
@Cheryl Miller – I’m so sorry to hear your son is struggling with this! Since he is just now getting permanent teeth, perhaps that is why his dentist did not thing it was necessary to order a mouth guard and would reevaluate the situation now? We are not medical professionals so we can’t say for sure, but if you feel it is getting more serious, it may be worth a second opinion and going to another dentist? Thank you for your comment and I hope this is resolved for you soon!
Emily DeJeu says
@ Tom — happy to hear you found the article helpful! Muscle relaxers and sleeping pills wouldn’t be good solutions for toddlers, of course, but glad they worked for you!
Tom says
I’ve been suffering from bruxism for a lot of time now. Teeth grinding in one major discomfort.. It also affected sleep and then the doctor recommended a light dosage of sleeping pills. I also took muscle relaxers for quite a while. It has been a few months since I am better but it is still not fully cured.
I have been reading up a lot. The information you mentioned is quite helpful. Thanks for posting for all of us
Emily DeJeu says
@ Ann — glad you find the tips here helpful! And glad to hear that your twins are sleeping better. That likely means you’re getting more rest, too 🙂
Ann says
Hi,
Thanks so much for the information. All the sleep tips have helped my 7 months twins sleep better, & hope we shall get there! Thanks
Ann.
Emily DeJeu says
@ Miriam — glad you found the tips helpful! Teeth grinding is definitely the worst 😉 My 4 year old does it sometimes, and the sound makes my skin crawl!
Miriam Seitler says
Thanks for the tips! Hate when my tot does it!