Guest guest Posted May 10, 2000 Report Share Posted May 10, 2000 HI Suzanne, My six-year-old daughter grinds her teeth too, and sometimes it sounds just horrible. I can't believe her dentist hasn't mentioned it yet, but I plan to ask him about it next visit. She has always ground her teeth a little, and her father does too, but since OCD and Prozac entered her life, the grinding can be intense. Many adults have discussed this phenomenon on the OCD-L, and the general consensus seems to be that sometimes an inexpensive sports mouth guard solves the problem. But with my daughter's tactile defensiveness, I haven't even begun to suggest this option to her yet! Take care, Lesli turk1876@... wrote: > > Hello, my daughter who is 8 years old and has OCD, has begun grinding > her teeth while she sleeps. She has been taking Prozac and receiving > CBT for about 4 months now and began grinding her teeth for the first > time about 2 months ago. It is so loud I am afraid she is going to > damage her teeth. Has anyone else experienced this? > Suzanne > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Remember four years of good friends, bad clothes, explosive chemistry > experiments. > 1/4051/5/_/531051/_/957973365/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > You may subscribe to the OCD-L by emailing listserv@... . In the body of your message write: subscribe OCD-L your name. The Archives, Files, and Features List for the may be accessed by going to , enter your email address and password, then point and click. Subscription issues, problems, or suggestions may be addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at harkins@... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2000 Report Share Posted August 24, 2000 In a message dated 8/23/00 9:07:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time, egroups writes: << he teeth grinding is back with this Paxil. He hasn't done that for two years now. >> Margaret: Have you tried your kid on Risperdal? has this prob before we started him on it.....took a while, but one day we just noticed we didn't hear the grinding anymore!! We are taking him to a psych tomorrow who deals with " special kids " , so I'm anxious to see what he says about all these behaviors and our kids' immunities to drugs over time....... Will keep you all posted..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2000 Report Share Posted October 3, 2000 In a message dated 10/3/00 12:54:08 PM Central Daylight Time, sbntwong@... writes: << Tim is nearly 7 and he has NEVER done this before. the dentist isn't concenred, his ears are going to be checked on friday (it seemed to start when his nose and ears were blocked, long shot but worth checking out). So, question is, how do I get him to stop. I know that in the great sche >> Hi Sue, used to do this alot when she did have a cold/hayfever so maybe that's Tim's problem, at least it'd be nice if there was a physical reason, rather then just a nasty habit that will be terrible to get rid of.... Good Luck Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2000 Report Share Posted October 3, 2000 Oh Sue, How I wish I had a magical answer for you. I too, have a daughter who grinds her teeth. Fortunately, although I never thought it was, it is only at night. I so feel for you since Tim is doing this 24 hrs a day. If anyone does have a way to stop the grinding I would love to entertain it. It can make you cuckoo. I also am reminded of my sisters tormenting me with the Styrofoam containers Mc's used to come in. That is worse than the chalkboard for me!!! Painfully yours, Jayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 I too have a " teeth grinder, " 24 hours a day! Evan started grinding his teeth at the age of 22 months and has never stopped. I have learned to shut most of it out, but at night when he is really tired and is really grinding loud, it does still get to me. It does bother other people a lot more than me. I answer the question: " Is he grinding his teeth? " almost daily. I have taken him to the dentist and asked for a bite pad and they said no because he would choke on it. Evan has grinded so long that he is wearing the enamel off his teeth. I asked the dentist to " seal " his teeth but they said he wouldn't stay still long enough to do that yet and I don't want to put him under anesthesia just for that. Maybe if he ever has to have surgery we will arrange for the dentist to be there too. The bad news.....now he has a cavity where he has worn the enamel off and we have a dentist appointment for a filling on Oct. 30th! He will have to be made very, very sleepy with Vistaril and hopefully he will be ok. I am not looking forward to this appointment at all. I would love to hear if anyone has come up with a " cure " for teeth grinding. Terry Mom to Evan, 4.9 years (Who's teeth grinding has earned him the nickname of " Cricket Boy " ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 In a message dated 10/4/00 10:21:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time, DownsIsUp@... writes: <<<snip>> I asked the dentist to " seal " his teeth but they said he wouldn't stay still long enough to do that yet and I don't want to put him under anesthesia just for that. <<snip>> The bad news.....now he has a cavity where he has worn the enamel off and we have a dentist appointment for a filling on Oct. 30th! He will have to be made very, very sleepy with Vistaril and hopefully he will be ok. >> Terry - just a thought - if he gets sleepy and very cooperative, maybe your dentist could be prepared to seal his teeth at the same time he does the filling. He may or may not be able to do it, but IF your son is cooperative, it'd be a shame to miss the opportunity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 In a message dated 10/4/00 10:50:27 AM Central Daylight Time, lauralk38@... writes: << <<<snip>> I asked the dentist to " seal " his teeth but they said he wouldn't stay still long enough to do that yet and I don't want to put him under anesthesia just for that. <<snip>> The bad news.....now he has a cavity where he has worn the enamel off and we have a dentist appointment for a filling on Oct. 30th! He will have to be made very, very sleepy with Vistaril and hopefully he will be ok. >> Terry - just a thought - if he gets sleepy and very cooperative, maybe your dentist could be prepared to seal his teeth at the same time he does the filling. He may or may not be able to do it, but IF your son is cooperative, it'd be a shame to miss the opportunity! >> I don't know how factual this is or if it was just his opinion but, when I worked with a child that ground her teeth we talked to a dentist about sealants. He said that if she was grinding enough to remove the enamel that sealants wouldn't do any good. She would just grind them off also. Maybe talk to an OT about some oral stimulation activities. I have a tendency to grind my teeth at night. If I get a good neck rub and rub the joint where my jaw comes together it helps me to relax and not do it. Karyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 I also have a " Teeth Grinder " however, grinds during the night and I never realized it. Doesn't seem to do it during the day but does in his sleep. The dentist told me this and I was very shocked! We went for his 6 month check-up the other day (which I believe they should give me valium for) and these appointments are never fun The dentist told me that has broken off a piece of his tooth grinding. We have two more appointments in November - Yuck! Doesn't look like this kid is going to have very good teeth Dawn (mom to 7ds) Re: Teeth Grinding I too have a " teeth grinder, " 24 hours a day! Evan started grinding his teeth at the age of 22 months and has never stopped. I have learned to shut most of it out, but at night when he is really tired and is really grinding loud, it does still get to me. It does bother other people a lot more than me. I answer the question: " Is he grinding his teeth? " almost daily. I have taken him to the dentist and asked for a bite pad and they said no because he would choke on it. Evan has grinded so long that he is wearing the enamel off his teeth. I asked the dentist to " seal " his teeth but they said he wouldn't stay still long enough to do that yet and I don't want to put him under anesthesia just for that. Maybe if he ever has to have surgery we will arrange for the dentist to be there too. The bad news.....now he has a cavity where he has worn the enamel off and we have a dentist appointment for a filling on Oct. 30th! He will have to be made very, very sleepy with Vistaril and hopefully he will be ok. I am not looking forward to this appointment at all. I would love to hear if anyone has come up with a " cure " for teeth grinding. Terry Mom to Evan, 4.9 years (Who's teeth grinding has earned him the nickname of " Cricket Boy " ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 Sheila went through a very short period of time grinding her teeth--it was most often associated with sinus infections. Sometimes children in need of a great deal of oral/motor input will grind. We have a little girl with DS in our preschool who grinds some of the time. Whenever she starts we start doing oral/motor exercises with her and we offer her a nuk brush (not a real brush it is this nubby thing she can rub on the inside of her cheeks, gums and she can chew on it) or this tubing we give kids who need to chew. nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 i attended an oral motor conference given by debra beckman a few years ago. she had good success decreasing teeth grinding by oral motor exercises. specifically , chewing on a piece of the tubing. i would talk to your OT or speech/language path to see if they can be of help. when alec was little and he would grind his teeth, i gave him pretzels to chew on. this helped him lori- mom to danielle (11) and alec (7DS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 Ian has been grinding his teeth since he had them, but we've noticed that in recent years, he grinds when he's anxious. Sometimes we hear him grinding as he goes to sleep. So he's using it as a tool for relaxing himself. CK, Mom to Ian (2/89), (9/90), and Rose (6/94) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2000 Report Share Posted October 4, 2000 Both my girls do this. Caitlin has worn a spot on her front tooth where she grinds her bottom teeth over the front. Drives me crazy!!!!!!!! God Bless -mom to (2 DS) and Caitlin(4) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2000 Report Share Posted October 5, 2000 sue- depending on the district, there are 2 separate areas or as i see it 2 ways to qualify for speech. the first is thru language delay. the second is thru a speech delay or also called articulation. if they say he no longer qualifies thru the language delay you can insist that they test his articulation. let me know if you need more info. lori- mom to danielle (11) and alec (8DS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 5, 2000 Report Share Posted October 5, 2000 Hi, thanks for all the sympathy and advice on this, not sure what approach to take other than that infanticide is still considered a crime here so is maybe not the way to go, even if teeth grinding could legitimately be considered as suffiecient and justifiable provocation! But I shall definitely have to try something, I liked the timer idea becoz I am fairly sure that the problem is a habit rather than caused by stress, if that fails I shall try one of the other possibilities. One of the last to try tho is the speech therepist becoz I am having problems with them to even give him speech therepy let alone add more!!! I face an appeal to his statement and possible tribunal to get him the speech therepy he needs (and has been receiving til this term). He has improved over the holidays so he apparantly no longer needs so much therepy, he can now understand 3 word commands occasionally instead of merely two, huge improvement, quite justifies the dropping of therepy no?!!! The new amount is 1-2 times a term instead of fortnightly and they are surprised I am miffed. Anyway, thanks for the teeth grinding advice, I may yet take up the habit myself becoz of stress yet! Sue Wong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 used to grind his teeth. I didn't really do anything to stop it, he just outgrew it. Now his comfort thing is to chew on his finger and thumb. He has them so callused they almost look deformed. Loriann Wife to Dewight Mom to , 10 years, Down Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder And , 15 months and Strong Willed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 I know with my husband, who grinds his teeth in his sleep, they gave him a mouth guard molded to his teeth that he was supposed to wear like a retainer (I had braces and that's about all I can relate it to, it covers all the top teeth). But I can't see keeping it in when he was asleep, much less awake. I used to spit my retainer out when I was asleep and have to look for it when I woke up....... Loriann Wife to Dewight Mom to , 10 years, Down Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder And , 15 months and Strong Willed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 Hi ! grinds his teeth. He has ground them down and I'm not sure what the dentist will do about it. So far, when I have mentioned it to the dentists they have told me: " Yep, I can see that he grinds his teeth. These kids do that. " So very helpful! Terry mother of (13 yrs.) DS/ASD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 nathan has done it since he's had teeth, and will stop for a few when i tell him to but then also starts it again, nathan also bites himself occasionally on the arms, and is at it again, they look terrible, me and the doc are tryng to find ways to help relieve this apparent sensory mouth issue, she offered a mouth guard but i dont think he would keep it in, but we can see his dentist about that. and checking into someone mentioning some teething thing that vibrated too. shawna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 Ian grinds his teeth so much they are down to little nothings. He does it mostly to relax -- I hear it when he's in bed, trying to fall asleep, and when he's anxious. CK, Mom to Ian (2/89), (9/90), and Rose (6/94) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 , Reuben grinds his teeth, too. Haven't found anything that works yet. He will do it for a few weeks, then quit for awhile, then start up again. ita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2000 Report Share Posted October 16, 2000 grinds and I give him a little magnesium...it has slowed down a lot. He has ground down his two front teeth a bit. My sister's boy did the same thing (non ds, no autism)...he had to have a lot of dental work done. Ann with , and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2000 Report Share Posted October 17, 2000 Thanks for the info. How does the mag. help? Re: teeth grinding > grinds and I give him a little magnesium...it has slowed down a lot. > He has ground down his two front teeth a bit. My sister's boy did the same > thing (non ds, no autism)...he had to have a lot of dental work done. > Ann with , and > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2000 Report Share Posted October 17, 2000 In a message dated 10/16/00 9:47:19 PM Pacific Daylight Time, egroups writes: << , Reuben grinds his teeth, too. Haven't found anything that works yet. He will do it for a few weeks, then quit for awhile, then start up again. ita >> and ita: Risperdal stopped the grinding right in its tracks!!!! Have you tried this??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2000 Report Share Posted October 17, 2000 Is that a drug? What other things have you noticed with it? Re: Teeth Grinding > In a message dated 10/16/00 9:47:19 PM Pacific Daylight Time, > egroups writes: > > << , Reuben grinds his teeth, too. Haven't found anything that works > yet. > He will do it for a few weeks, then quit for awhile, then start up again. > ita >> > and ita: > Risperdal stopped the grinding right in its tracks!!!! Have you tried this??? > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2001 Report Share Posted January 4, 2001 In a message dated 1/4/2001 6:36:07 PM Eastern Standard Time, rjprather@... writes: << He doesnt grind them in his sleep just during the day. He also grinds more intensely when hes working on something. Any and all input is appreciated! >> Make sure his ears are checked to rule out otitis media..a tympannogram will be needed. Don't let the doctor just take a peak in the ear canals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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