RecordProducer Posted June 1, 2009 Posted June 1, 2009 He's 10 and he grinds the rear teeth, which are still baby teeth, but some day he'll have permanent teeth and he might grind those too. In fact, he complains that he can't eat carrots, because his teeth hurt. Our dentist said that since his jaw is still growing, it'd be pointless to make a nightguard that would prevent him from grinding his teeth, as he'd have to make a new one every couple month -and he says that would cost a lot of money. We don't really like this dentist, so I am looking for other opinions. I read about the subject on the web and I am scared now. Anyone dealt with/resolved a problem like this successfully? I am interested in hearing from people whose kids grind their teeth. I grind my front teeth and they're slightly damaged because of that. Thanks for reading.
quankanne Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 is he stressed for any reason? I know I was grinding in my sleep a while back, but eventually, that stopped. I did get a nightguard, but I can see how it would be cost prohibitive. you may want to ask around on a dental/orthodontia board, too, someone might have some alternatives for you to consider. meanwhile YOUR RUGRATS ARE ALREADY 10?!! :eek: my gosh, time flies!
sb129 Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 Hey RP- if your dentist told you his rear teeth are baby teeth at the age of 10, you definitely need a new dentist. He will most certainly have his first permanent molars through, they come through at around between the ages of 6-8, and they come in behind the last baby teeth (ie no teeth fall out before they come in). The first permanent molars are VERY VERY important teeth and should be cared for accordingly. Tooth grinding is often a sign of stress and anxiety in adults- is your son OK in this respect? Also- night guards are pretty inexpensive for dentists to make, and while the dentist is right he may need a new one more frequently than if he was fully grown, isn't this better than damaging permanent teeth? You could always try a shop bought mouthguard- the ones you soak in boiling water and mould to your teeth at home yourself, they are pretty cheap , but they tend to be bulkier and therefore less comfortable to wear.
Chocolat Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 Take him to an orthodontist. It sounds as though his bite is out of alignment. Early intervention can save him years of pain. Don't wait.
donnamaybe Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 My son grinds his teeth REALLY bad at night. If your son doesn't have all his adult teeth yet, it won't matter much, unless it leads to TMJ. My son is 15, so I did get the NTS night guard, and it works GREAT! And at age 10, your son could still have baby molars. I'm sure your dentist would know more than any of us would from some thousand odd miles away.
sb129 Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 I am a dentist. He WILL still have some baby molars, but he will ALSO have some permanent ones. He is in what we call the "mixed dentition" phase, where you have a combination of baby and permanent teeth. This phase lasts from age 6 to age 12-13. Taking him to an orthodontist is a good idea, but you may need a referral from your dentist.
donnamaybe Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 SB, can he develop TMJ or some other problem from grinding really hard at night quickly enough that RP can't wait until all his adult teeth are in to get a device? My son's cost $660! Fortunately, only a little over $140 of that had to come out of my pocket.
sb129 Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 Yes, children can get TMJ- their joints are still growing, so its not that great fro them to have additional stress on them. But having said that they can often "grow out of it", and the joint is made up of tissue that can regenerate, but the teeth (if they get worn down) are not. That would be my main concern at the moment. I am in a country where this kind of thing can be covered by the government, so I can't comment too much on cost sorry!
sb129 Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 The other worry is that stressing the teeth by grinding can cause microcracks to form that can cause big problems later in life, a little like a cracked windshield in your car...
marlena Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 Tooth grinding is often a sign of stress and anxiety in adults- is your son OK in this respect? Hi, RP. Yes, go and see another dentist. I started grinding my teeth after both my parents died. I was under unbelievable stress and emotional turmoil. It went away about a year later. I don't know if this could be the reason that your little boy does it. Have you noticed any signs of stress in him lately?
donnamaybe Posted June 2, 2009 Posted June 2, 2009 The other worry is that stressing the teeth by grinding can cause microcracks to form that can cause big problems later in life, a little like a cracked windshield in your car... And can the adult teeth waiting beneath the still existing baby molars be affected? Sorry to sound like an idiot, but I haven't a clue!
sb129 Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 And can the adult teeth waiting beneath the still existing baby molars be affected? Sorry to sound like an idiot, but I haven't a clue! Probably not- but even if he only has a few adult teeth through, they will be being affected.
marlena Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 SB, When I had that problem my dentist tried to re-align my teeth. I had a bridge replaced and she filed down some teeth. It helped. And time. What can RP do? Would that nightguard thing help? She wanted to make me wear one but I outright refused to do so. I also clenched my fists. It was horrible. The shock was too much.
sb129 Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 Difficult to say much more without actually seeing him. Those nightguards are always worth trying in the first instance because they are non invasive and reversible. Hard to change the bite in a growing 10yr old. I had similiar clenching problems a few years ago, but they magically disappeared when I ditched my ex!
marlena Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 I had similiar clenching problems a few years ago, but they magically disappeared when I ditched my ex! Yup!! Remove the cause and you remove the symptoms. Absolutely!
Author RecordProducer Posted June 3, 2009 Author Posted June 3, 2009 Hi guys, thank you so much for your replies. I guess I should get a new dentist. The company selling the moldable nightguards states they shouldn't be used for children under 18. SB, can they be harmful for kids? I don't know about their level of stress. They've been doing this for a couple years. Perhaps my bad marriage caused it. One of my twins does it much more than the other and he's really the more sensitive kid. I guess my husband's hostile behavior toward me isn't helping. So, should I get a new dentist and see what nightguards they have in the local pharmacy? Is that all I can do or is there more? I will also try to help him relax right before sleep by calming down the atmosphere, reading them a story or having him take a shower before going to bed.
sb129 Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 I guess there is a warning because 18 is when they stop growing, but lots of kids play sports well before age 18 and wear mouthguards for that. They also wear things in their mouths for orthodontic treatment, and most of that happens before the age of 18. I had a little bite guard that was a little like an orthodontic retainer, which worked really well. By the time your son outgrows it, it might actually have done the job and he may not need another one if it stops him grinding. relaxing before sleep is a good idea, having a bath, maybe some lavendar oil on his pillow, that kind of thing. Getting a second opinion from another dentist is a good idea- and an orthodontist too if you can although that will be more expensive.
Author RecordProducer Posted June 3, 2009 Author Posted June 3, 2009 Thank you, SB. I'll do all that you advised. By the way, how is your pregnancy going? When is your baby due? I am so very sorry about your dad, I just browsed through your history to check if you posted something new about your pregnancy, and discovered that you lost your dad to cancer. Death is a very sad part of life. How are you coping, hon? When the baby comes, you will be too overwhelmed to think about anything else. Are you going to take a few months off work?
sb129 Posted June 3, 2009 Posted June 3, 2009 I am doing OK, thank you for asking. Baby due in October, and its given me something positive to think about and something good for the family to think about. Am definitely taking some time off work!
OceanBlue Posted June 14, 2009 Posted June 14, 2009 I am a grinder. I have had a few different types of devices. None of them cost more than around $250 or $300. Some insurance will cover these in kids but not adults. They do not stop the grinding - the purpose is to prevent damage from grinding on the other teeth. I had a soft one first. The next dentist I saw (I moved cities) was not impressed. I had almost ground (grinded?) through the guard. He said the soft was not good for grinding as your teeth bite in and you grind harder. He gave me a very hard appliance so it would 'slide' over the other teeth. I cracked it the first night, but after it was fixed up it worked okay. The one I currently have is somewhere between the two. I can soften it up a bit by soaking in extremely hot water, so I can manipulate the fit a little. I can't sink my teeth in like the soft. To be honest though, this one is the most uncomfortable and I have removed it in the middle of the night because it was bothering me.
sb129 Posted June 14, 2009 Posted June 14, 2009 I agree- the hard ones are the best, but they can also be quite hard to get used to. You can get another kind called an NTI splint (google it) which is a little one that hold your jaw forward these are quite good too. Nice to see you back OB.... how are your wedding plans going?
OceanBlue Posted June 15, 2009 Posted June 15, 2009 I agree- the hard ones are the best, but they can also be quite hard to get used to. You can get another kind called an NTI splint (google it) which is a little one that hold your jaw forward these are quite good too. Nice to see you back OB.... how are your wedding plans going? Different OB Thanks for the tip on the NTI splint. I will be sure to ask my dentist about it. I am not so diligent with wearing my currrent one as it can be irritating so maybe she'll think this is a good option to try.
Athena Posted July 29, 2009 Posted July 29, 2009 I know this post is from last month, but I just found it. I have a mouth guard which only clips onto my two big front teeth and separates my jaw slightly, so no grinding can occur. I would imagine this would be perfect for your 10 year old since he must have his permanent front teeth in... this NTI device is very small, but effective! It only clips onto the top two teeth.
missdependant Posted July 29, 2009 Posted July 29, 2009 I have TMJ, and let me tell you it SUCKS. It's more of an annoyance than it is painful. It gets painful sometimes.. but it's not always painful. It's hard to explain, but it's like a constant pressure on my jaw. I started grinding my teeth in my sleep when I was about 9 or 10, and didn't notice any discomfort until I was about 17. My jaw has felt like it's needed to pop for about 6 years now, but will not budge. I went in for a procedure, but it didn't fix the problem, so now I'm told I need to go in for another more intense surgery. It's expensive and my insurance company doesn't cover it. I would suggest using mouth guards, even if you have to replace them every few months. Better than having him deal with the discomfort when he gets older. I use the same one that Athena is talking about, and have no complaints about it.
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