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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What are the consequences of my daughter grinding her teeth?

    Related Topic
    Dentistry
    My 5 year old grinds her teeth possibly 2-3 nights a week, is this going to cause any damage on her teeth later on?
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    Dr Melissa Huang

    Dentist

    Dr Melissa Huang completed her dental degree at the University of Melbourne with honours. During her time there, she received the Tuckfield and Shepherd prize … View Profile

    Hi Lindsay,

    Yes it can cause damage to her teeth later on as it's likely that when her adult teeth come through she will continue to grind her teeth.

    A common reason why children grind their teeth is if they have a small airway due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids.  These kids will often also snore when they sleep.  This means that when she falls into the deepest stage of sleep, all her throat and tongue muscles relax and close her airway making it hard for her to breathe.  Her brain then wakes her up from the deepest stage of sleep by making her grind her teeth which reopens her airway. this repeated cycle during the night can mean that she doesn't get good quality sleep during the night.  Poor quality sleep can impact on the child's growth, behavior and learning capabilities.

    Normally when I see signs of teeth grinding in my little patients, I will do a screening check of their tonsils.  If I see signs of a small airway, I will refer them onto a Pediactirc Ear Nose Throat Specialist for an assessment. 

    Associate Professor David Mcintosh has done an excellent presentation regarding children who snore and grind their teeth.  Please check it out

    http://www.slideshare.net/AssocProfDavidMcInto/what-happens-to-a-childs-brain-when-they-snore-52878226

    I hope I've helped answer your question

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    Sharon Moore

    Speech Pathologist

    I am a Speech Pathologist with 30 years clinical experience, working over the years with a wide range of clients with communication and swallowing disorders. … View Profile

    Great answer Dr Huang, thankyou. I would also like to add some comments on how the muscles of the face and the mouth can impact this issue. Good sleep quality is connected to airway and breathing. As has already been mentioned, obstruction  in the airway can be caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids.

    Airway obstructions lead to mal-adaptions of 'function', i.e. the way the shared muscle systems for breathing eating and speaking function. Removing tonsils and adenoids and correcting a nose blocked by allergy, are important steps for correcting the structures that support healthy breathing and sleep.

    However, correcting the structure does not automatically correct the way the muscles are working for breathing eating and speaking. It is important to check these functions following structural corrections like surgery, to ensure that the muscle systems are working ideally. In young children under 6, correct muscle postures and functions support growth of bones in the face and mouth, in particular the upper jaw which is also the floor of the nose. This part of the face grows at a fast rate (70% of growth completed by age 5-6) in these early years and we need to capitalise on this growth phase for kids under 6.

    Kids that grind, and have airway issues are showing 'red flags' for sleep disordered breathing, and it needs to be addressed as early as possible for all the reasons that Dr Mc Intosh outlines in his excellent article.

    Thankyou for a brilliant question which highlights the importance of early intervention and a team approach.

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  • Dr Melissa Huang

    Dentist

    Dr Melissa Huang completed her dental degree at the University of Melbourne with honours. During her time there, she received the Tuckfield and Shepherd prize … View Profile

    Hi Lindsay,

    You might find this link interesting:

    http://askthedentist.com/pediatric-sleep-disordered-breathing/

    hope this helps!

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  • Dr Frank Farrelly

    Dentist

    Principal Dentist at Darlinghurst Dental, a high quality, affordable practice located in the heart of Darlinghurst. A high emphasis on customer service and impeccable cross … View Profile

    Further to the great information from Dr Huang, it might be good to see your GP as well as your dentist. For referral under medicare to an ENT, you may need a referral from your doctor to make it claimable under medicare

    Regards

    Dr Frank Farrelly

    30 Burton St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

    02 9331 1766

    http://darlinghurstdental.com.au/

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    Dr Melissa Huang

    Dentist

    Dr Melissa Huang completed her dental degree at the University of Melbourne with honours. During her time there, she received the Tuckfield and Shepherd prize … View Profile

    Actually Dr Frank my patients have had no issue claiming under Medicare using my referral to the ENT. Not sure if things are different between Sydney and Melbourne though. 

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    Dr Frank Farrelly

    Dentist

    Principal Dentist at Darlinghurst Dental, a high quality, affordable practice located in the heart of Darlinghurst. A high emphasis on customer service and impeccable cross … View Profile

    I don't think it should be different between states, but I have had patient's with a problem claiming in the past. This was with other specialties, though. Usually the ENT office should be able to advise the patient either way. It may have been under past regulations that this occurred. Good to know it is getting more streamlined.

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