Teeth grinding | ADHD Information

I am so thankful to be reading this! I couldn't believe it, though, because this is what I was SPECIFICALLY looking for info on! My husband has been gone on a trip for a week now and so our son has been sleeping with me. I didn't know he was grinding his teeth so terribly until now. It woke me up!!

So, what are you going to do? I don't know where to start? My son takes 10mg of adderall since May of this year.

Who do you ask for a night guard, dentist or dr?

ilovemyboys39372.5465740741You can get a night guard at your dentist. Shop around for the best price. When I got mine I found that one doctor charges a lot and another was less expensive. I chose the cheap one and it worked fine.

The way they fitted me for my night guard was to place a mold over my upper teeth. They then poured a pudding like mixture into it that hardened in a couple minutes. This created an impression that they were able to create a plastic appliance that fit over my upper teeth. It prevented my mouth from closing completely. I still grinded my teeth while sleeping, but my teeth were not touching together. The dental guard is not designed to stop teeth grinding, it just helps prevent TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint Disturbance) from happening or getting worse. It also helps the teeth from wearing down due to constant grinding. It also helps reduce headaches and jaw pain when you wake up in the morning.

It seems that teeth grinding gets worse as anxieties and stress increases in one's life. Dental appliances are good, but it's also good to treat the tics, anxieties and stress that cause grinding.

My son also just started doing this ( during the day) and I gave him some gum...it seemed to help

you may want to ask for a night guard to help with the night grinding.

joemom39371.6454166667I was told it is normal for a young child to grind teeth when getting new teeth. I called the dentist and unsure if I like this answer.

I agree with Joemom- ask the dentist for a night guard. At least it will protect his teeth till you get it sorted out.

No idea if there's a connection between adhd and teeth grinding, but there's certainly a connection between stress and teeth grinding. ADHD can cause lots of stress and anxiety, so I guess there's a connection, at least in a round- about sort of way.

thanks again for good insight --I plan to call the dentist tomorrow. Stimulants and antidepressants can both cause teeth grinding (bruxing) and/or tight jaw. It may go away after the body gets used to the med. I am on zoloft for night sweats (helps about 1/2 of people and is an alternative to hormones), and each time we increased my dose I would grind my teeth for several days then it would stop.

My son grinds his teeth as well and he is also on Adderrall. However, he did this before the Adderrall. I spoke with the dentist and he stated this is normal for some kids until they get their permanent teeth in. May or may not be the medicine. Talk to childs dentist.

jobige139407.3924768519Does anyone know if there is a connection between ADHD and teeth grinding? My son took Concerta when it started. We've switched him to Daytrana (the same medicine) and he's still grinding. It is so loud that, when he climbs in bed with me after a bad dream, his grinding later wakes me up.

I don't want him to have TMJ or grind his teeth to nothing before he's 7!

Probably a tic, ask his Psych about it. They can be caused or exacerbated by some meds.

Oh my gawd! The teethgrinding! I feel for you. My son was doing this while on Adderall. He didn't seem to do it so much while awake, but rather while sleeping...And he slept with me! I'm not sure I got any sleep the entire time that kid was on adderall. I was constantly nudging him to stop grinding his teeth throughout the night. It was terrible. When I discussed it with the doctor they told me it was a tic, but I found out after taking him off the Adderall that it was just the Adderall...He didn't do it on Daytrana and he's not doing it on Strattera. So who knows...

Maybe your son just needs a med change, or perhaps the dosage just needs tweaking.

My daughter just started or I just noticed, while waking her for the bathroom the past few nights I heard her grinding. Thanks for reminding me to call the dentist, oh and she takes Ritalin La 10 MG My 7 year old dd is a horrible teeth grinder. She is on Strattera now but it started as soon as she had teeth!

My son has ADHD and ODD he has never taken any meds yet. He is 5. He grinds his teeth too. I think it might just be a ADHD thing or maybe just a kid thing.

My daughter is on Adderall 10 mg and she too is grinding her teeth in her sleep. I dont recall this happening before she started taking the medications.

I've had issue with teeth grinding for a really long time. I don't remember if I did it as a kid, but I have issues most of my adult life. I have used night guards off and on, but not really like them. I am not any medication and I have never been diagnosed with ADD although I definitely have some of the traits.

My son is 11 and grinds his teeth when he is NOT on meds and he is concentrating. So far there hasn't been any damage, but when he goes back to the dentist I think I want to ask for a night guard just for him to wear when doing homework or playing video games. When I first started taking Adderall XR, I did not grind my teeth, but would push hard against my front teeth with my tongue. This was involuntary, and I could not seem to stop myself. It finally subsided after my body adjusted to the medication.I take 30 mg of Adderall weekdays at around 7:30am.
I noticed that I was grinding my teeth, sucking in my cheeks and making weird tension faces all day long. It was getting ridiculous. My face hurt, I was getting headaches and my ears even popped.
The dentist made me a night guard and recommended that I use it at night and during the day as needed.
I was munching on the night guard! nothing would stop this grinding and facial tensing.
I started wondering what it could be and I took a break from adderall for 2 days and it stopped so adderall is the culprit in my case.

The night guards from the dentist are large and hard. The cost is 0-0 and is sometimes covered by insurance. The ones from the drug store and small and flexible and cost . I found the one from the dentist to be uncomfortable and it woke me up many times each night.
I don't know about any ADHD connection.My adhd son started grinding his teeth at age 2 1/2 and never stopped!
At each visit to the dentist, they would always say it could be related to teeth coming in as other posters have said. I suppose since a child's mouth is always growing it might not be advisable to get a mouth guard when they are young...they are expensive to replace...(I use one myself)

When he finished orthodontia at age 16 or so, the dentist made a nightguard for him instead of a retainer for use at night. He wears it religiously and it is the one thing he doesn't lose!

My child recently started grinding his teeth. He's 11. At his last checkup, I asked the dentist about it, and she said that it's normal for kids to grind their teeth. It alleviates pressure as the teeth are coming in.