Will my son have to keep getting his night guards replaced as he grows? our eight year old son grinds his teeth at night, and i'm concerned. i haven't scheduled an appointment with the dentist yet, but i know night guards are expensive, so as our son grow

Seattle, Grinding : Seattle, grinding on children is common and normal. I would not generally (never say never, but i can't think of a reason why) recommend a night guard for children. While he probably has his first molars and a couple of front adult teeth in, he is in what is called a transitional dentition. I would be concerned when he has all adult teeth, a mortgage, a tough boss, and three kids that stress him out causing him to grind and/or clench away teeth that he needs for the rest of his life. That’s when you can buy him his first night guard. Hope this is helpful, michael i. Wollock, dmd, agd fellow dentistry at suburban square 610-649-0313 www.Dentistryatsuburbansquare.Com.

I : I agree with dr. Zweig. Does he have any physical pain or discomfort? Are his teeth worn down? Your best bet, as advised is to make that consultation appointment and have the dentist who will be treating you address your concerns.

I : I would definitely have him see his dentist or an orthodontist at this point. Not having seen your child, i can't say for sure, but my suspicions are that a full nightguard will probably not be prescribed. You are correct that they would have to be replaced somewhat regularly as he loses his baby teeth and the adult teeth grow in. However, there are options to make appliances for him to wear at night that would be more appropriate and affordable for someone his age. We see a lot of pre-adolescent children in our office with excessive wear to their teeth and parents describing very loud grinding coming from their kids rooms at night. While this is often a normal part of the growing years due to teeth coming in and falling out, the concern would be the stresses that this clenching and grinding would place on his muscles and jaw joints as he develops. Having an appliance to help alleviate these pressures may be worthwhile. I have also included a link to our blog where we summarized a recent article in the american journal of orthodontics. This may be worthwhile to discuss as well if you notice any other sleep-related issues in addition to the grinding. Hope that helps!

Yes : Yes you should replace his night guard as his baby teeth fall out and his permanent teeth erupt in. Your son can break his grinding habit if he keeps his night guard and undergoes orthodontic treatment to correct his bite. Good luck.

The : The first question is: does your son need a night guard and why does he grind his teeth at night? I am skeptical that an eight year old would brux (grind) so severly that he would be a candidate for this. Why is he so stressed or angry? If your dentist decides that a nightguard would be the best treatment for him, yes. It would need to be remade frequently since his mouth is continually chaning with baby teeth falling out, and permanent teeth coming in. I think a search for why he is grinding and addressing those issues would be more beneficial than making a dentla appliance.

Children : Children grinding at this age is often a sign of allergies, most commonly dairy. You may find that your child has large tonsils and adenoids due to allergies and once removed has improved airway and less grinding. Allergies such as this are often outgrown, coincidentally when the permanent teeth erupt. I would suggest seeing an ENT that is familiar with child allergies and removal of tonsils is likely indicated. If a night guard is made later, replacement over time is expected as teeth erupt or move during normal development.