Many parents notice that their children grind their teeth at night, maybe even during the day. If you notice a pronounced wear pattern on their baby teeth, it may mean trouble, and would justify a dental visit, preferably someone who is familiar with functional jaw orthopedics.

Reasons for tooth grinding in children are not so much stress related, rather than manifestations of a deficiency in oxygen during sleep. It has been determined that a child who experiences mild to moderate sleep apnea at night will tend to grind, due to the brain sending alarm impulses to the jaw muscles. Sleep apnea in children may be due to enlarged adenoids and tonsils, a lower jaw that has stayed behind in its development, crowded teeth or small arches, a mouth-breathing child with chronic congestion, or other anatomic anomalies.

The good news is that, this condition can almost always be remedied if the proper action is taken early enough.