Protect Your Child from Bruxism
Night guards a special type of guard that you wear while you sleep to prevent damage to your teeth and jaw from clenching. Such continuous clenching and grinding of teeth are referred to as bruxism. Night guards are made of a special type of rubber, and are able to add cushion to your teeth, and will reduce the tension. You can purchase a night guard from a dentist in conventional sizes, but some cases of bruxism for children may necessitate a fitted guard that matches the shape of their mouth and teeth.
Styles of Night Guards
Any night guard is going to protect your child from teeth grinding at night, but different styles of guards may be more effective for your child’s specific situation. Here are the 3 main styles of night guards:
- Soft: Made of soft rubber that is more comfortable to sleep with than other styles, in addition to being more affordable.
- Hard: Hard guards are made of acrylic, which makes them far more durable and strong, but also means that they take more time to get used to. These are necessary for extreme cases of bruxism.
- Dual Laminate: These guards a mix of hard and soft, as they hard on the outer edge, but softer on the inside to make it flexible for comfort. These can come with a higher price tag.
Damage Caused by Bruxism
Bruxism affects over 1-in-10 people in America and tends to be more present in children. Here are some of the symptoms that bruxism may cause to your child:
- Constant teeth grinding in the night can cause your child to wake up with headaches.
- The wear-and-tear on your teeth causes the enamel to weaken and wear down.
- Cracked teeth are always a possibility if your child has severe bruxism.
- Your child’s teeth may be in such extreme pain that you think it’s a cavity, but it is just the tension from nightly grinding.
- Children with bruxism have a higher possibility of developing temperomandibular joint disorder in the muscles around their mouth.
Call for a Consultation
If your child grinds their teeth at night, it’s important to get a night guard to protect their teeth. This is especially important as their adult teeth start to come in. Please reach out to Timpanogos Pediatric Dentistry today to schedule a consultation with one of our dentists.