#TuesdayTips – Helping Children Break Oral Habits

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

  

Oral habits, like non-nutritive sucking and teeth grinding, are common in young children, and unfortunately can cause more harm than good if they aren’t stopped at the proper time.

Non-nutritive sucking (includes sucking on a thumb, hand pacifier, toys, blankets, or other non food items) helps comfort children when they are feeling tired, upset, or nervous. Children often end non-nutritive sucking between the ages of 2 and 4, those who use pacifiers stop earlier than those who suck on their thumbs. Should the sucking continue, it may change the shape of the child’s mouth and teeth which opens the door to potential speech and bite problems.

It’s important to help your child break the sucking habit, some ways include using reminders like putting a bandage on your child’s thumb or have them wear a mitten or sock at night. You may also choose to give your child something to track small successes; add a gold star to the calendar each day the child doesn’t suck. After a certain amount of time, the child gets a reward. If you still find yourself having problems, you can always discuss with any of our staff during your next dental visit for other strategies to help break this tricky habit.

Why children grind their teeth on the other hand isn’t always clear. Sometimes it’s due to stress, teething pain, or just because the top and bottom teeth don’t line up properly. And while we know teeth grinding typically ends by 7 years of age once the permanent molars erupt, sometimes it doesn’t always stop over time.  If you are concerned that your child’s teeth grinding is serious, schedule an appointment with us. We’ll evaluate if their habit has caused any major problems and may discuss the option of a custom fit mouth guard to wear at night.

If you have more questions or concerns with your child's oral habits - schedule an appointment at any of our 3 locations. We'll evaluate the situation and discuss solutions to ensure your child is paving the way towards excellent oral health!

FAQs on Teeth Grinding

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

While teeth grinding may not be the nicest of sounds coming out of your little one’s mouth - there’s generally nothing to worry about (unless the problem persists that is).

Below are some frequently asked questions, courtesy of the AAPD, to help settle your nerves:

1. Is there a reason why children grind their teeth?
  Teeth grinding is very common in young children less than 7 years of age. It usually occurs due to the placement of their teeth. Most children will stop grinding once their 6 year permanent molars erupt.
2. Can stress be the cause of teeth grinding?
  In young children, not likely. It’s more common to find middle school age or high school aged children and teens grinding their teeth when major testing occurs. Toddlers may result to this if they are frustrated and can’t figure out the right vocabulary to use, but will grow out of it when they begin talking more.
3. Should you be worried?
  As long as your child is still young, with baby teeth present - there’s no need to worry. You don’t want to do anything to affect their growth since these teeth will fall out anyway. If the child is older with permanent teeth, intervention may be needed. We want to protect the permanent teeth - not damage or hurt their normal growth.


Many children grind their teeth throughout the day or while they are sleeping, and aren’t even aware they are doing it. If you are concerned the your child’s teeth grinding is serious, schedule an appointment with us. We’ll evaluate if their habit has caused any major problems and may discuss the option of a custom fit mouthguard to wear at night.