While it is still unclear why children begin grinding their teeth, it is thought that bruxism could be caused by your child’s baby teeth coming in. When your child’s baby teeth come in, it might cause them to feel irritation, which may lead to teeth grinding.Intervention is not usually required when your child grinds his or her baby teeth. However, it may help to develop a relaxing routine before bed to keep your child from grinding (see Method 1 for more information).
 Your child’s dentist may recommend getting him a mouthguard, also known as an occasional splint or night guard, to protect your child’s teeth. When your child grinds his/her teeth, he can actually wear his teeth down and damage his/her enamel. The guard is made of silicon rubber, which acts as a shield to keep the upper and lower molars from grinding against each other.Submerge the mouthguard in water during the day to keep it clean. Try to clean it with a toothbrush every one to two days.
 Caffeine can alter your child’s sleep schedule because it blocks the formation of a chemical called adenosine. This chemical helps to make you feel relaxed, which in turn can help you sleep better. Avoid giving your child caffeinated products like:


Sodas.
Energy drinks.
Chocolate.
Coffee.
 When your child grinds his teeth at night, it is important that he/she does not chew on anything that can damage his teeth further during the day. If you notice your child chewing on his/her nails, pencils, or pens, help him to break these habits.


You can read about how to help your child get over these habits here.
 Chewing gum causes your jaws to clench. This jaw clenching can become subconscious, which can make your child’s teeth grinding become worse. Help your child to stay away from gum while he/she works through his bruxism.
 If your child is old enough to be conscious of his/her jaw clenching and teeth grinding, show him how to stop doing those actions when he/she becomes aware of them.


To do this, tell him to place the tip of his/her tongue between his/her teeth whenever he notices himself clenching his/her jaw or grinding his/her teeth. Having his/her tongue in between his teeth will help him to stop doing the action.
 If you are concerned that your child’s teeth grinding might be linked to a psychological condition, you may want to meet with a psychotherapist who will be able to help your child overcome his/her bruxism. There are a couple techniques that the therapist might teach your child, including:


Auto-suggestion: This technique involves telling yourself “I will wake up if I grind my teeth” so that you can break the habit. While the approach lacks scientific evidence, some therapists believe thinking thoughts like that will help the child to overcome the habit of teeth grinding.
Guided meditation: This technique involves developing a sense of self esteem and a belief that you have control over your own body.
Be aware that grinding as a result of teething is not a large concern.
Get a mouthguard for your child.
Minimize the amount of caffeine that your child consumes.
Try to keep your child from chewing on things other than food.
Do not let your child chew gum.
Teach your child how to avoid clenching his jaw when he notices it happening.
Consider meeting with a therapist if you think your child’s teeth grinding might be psychological.
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