It isn’t uncommon at all for an adult to grind their teeth. Teeth grinding can, for the adult, cause a number of problems. It can cause you to wear down your teeth, damage the tooth enamel, and even cause fillings to be knocked loose.
Even babies can grind their teeth, too. In fact, around half of all babies will grind their teeth at one time or another. Teeth grinding for babies is most common during the time when their first teeth are coming in. This usually happens around the age of 6 months old. Children are again likely to experience teeth grinding later on, when they start to get their permanent teeth. This usually happens somewhere around the age of 5 years old.
There are a number of specific reasons why your baby might grind her teeth. One of them is the sensation of having new teeth in their mouth. In other cases, the pain caused by an earache or other illness can cause teeth grinding. If your baby is congested, has a stuffy nose, or is reacting to allergies, it’s also possible that he will grind his teeth.
The good news is that grinding isn’t likely to cause any real damage to her teeth, even if the sound is worrisome and sometimes irritating to you. Having said that, it’s always worth mentioning to your baby’s doctor when she’s grinding her teeth. If your baby is a year old or older, she should be seen by a dentist and you should mention the grinding to the dentist, as well.
Your baby’s doctor or dentist will be able to check for damage to her tooth enamel. The dentist can also look for possible causes of teeth grinding, and look out for other problems caused by teeth grinding.
The good news is that few babies are such fervent teeth grinders that they’re likely to cause any permanent damage or wear down their teeth.