My three-year-old daughter fell asleep in my lap. I heard this horrible noise and looked down. She was grinding her teeth. What do I do? She doesn’t have a dentist yet, because she’s only three.

Franny L. – Ohio

Franny,

It is normal for toddlers to go through this. It most often occurs between sleep cycles, which is why you likely didn’t notice it until now. We don’t really know the cause, though there are countless theories. Some of those theories include stress, sleep apnea, allergies, medications, and teething. We don’t know that any of these are the cause, so don’t put any stress on yourself trying to figure it out.

Most children grow out of it and no further action needs to be taken. Keep an eye out for it causing her any pain.  If she grabs or complains about her jaw you might have her pediatric dentist look at her.

I realize you said she doesn’t have a dentist yet, but it is time. Not because of the grinding. She needs to have a check-up. It’s extremely important that she have positive experiences with the dentist at a young age. If you wait much longer, she more likely to develop a cavity. We don’t want that to be the first real experience she has.

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