Bruxism is the habitual, nonfunctional and forceful contact between the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Many times parents notice this habit due to the noise created by the child grinding their teeth or parents may note the wearing down of the teeth (teeth getting shorter).
The underlying cause of bruxism can be from emotional stress (due to change in environment, divorce, changes at school, etc), neurological disabilities, or misaligned teeth. Most often this habit is self-limiting and doesn’t require any additional treatment. If excessive wear presents itself, bruxism management can be achieved through patient/parent education, occlusal splints (mouthguards), and psychological technique or medications.