My three year old daughter grinds her teeth while sleeping. Is there anything I can do or do I need to take her to the dentist?

Teeth grinding (bruxism) is a common habit in young children and usually disappears on its own as children grow older. The two peak periods for bruxism are when the baby teeth arrive and again when the permanent teeth begin to come in at five to six years of age. Usually there is no need to intervene as damage to the baby teeth is limited by their shorter life span. Thankfully the habit usually stops for most children before any damage is done to the adult teeth. Stress has been identified as a cause in some children. An important tip is to try and relax children as much as possible before going to bed. If the habit persists into adolescence, a dentist may make an appliance like a sports mouth guard to help break the habit. If you are still concerned why not mention the problem to your own dentist at your next dental appointment.