Teeth Grinding

Approximately 30 percent of children grind their teeth when they're sleeping, and for whatever reason, teeth grinding is more common in toddlers than in older children. It's most likely to occur when a child is in a very deep sleep or under a lot of stress. Teeth grinding (bruxism) doesn't generally do any lasting damage to a toddler's teeth (his baby teeth have to last only for a couple of years), but if he continues grinding his teeth as he gets older, your dentist may wish to fit him for a mouth guard to prevent any damage to his jaw or his permanent teeth.