Toddler
3 min Read
Ask the expert: How can I get my toddler to stop grinding her teeth?

March 28, 2013
Toddler
3 min Read
March 28, 2013
My toddler’s
molars are
coming in and
she is grinding
her teeth. Is this
bad and what
can I do to help
her stop?
Teething is a natural process. Infants start getting their first teeth around the age of six
months (plus or minus three months). All the front baby teeth (incisors), top and bottom are
generally in the mouth by around 12 months of age. First baby molars come along around
14 to 16 months, then the baby eyeteeth and finally the second baby molars by about 2 1/2
years. Teething can occur at any of these times but generally parents tend to equate teething
experiences around the time that the baby molars are coming along and interestingly their
child is much more interactive with them.
Toddlers may experience a pushing feeling on the gums as teeth ‘cut’, which can cause
discomfort. What teething does not cause is a fever, despite the urban myth that you will
find on many parenting websites. If your baby is experiencing a fever, see your family
doctor, as it could be an ear infection or another kind of infection. Research has shown that
during teething, toddlers will experience, in order: increased biting, drooling, gum rubbing,
sucking, and last but certainly not the least, increased irritability that can be associated with
disruption of eating and sleeping habits. Children may grind teeth as they come in and this is
not harmful. It can sound horrible when they grit them together, but don’t worry – teeth are
built to withstand this.
Dr. Ross Anderson, pediatric dentist at IWK Health Centre and professor at
the Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, April 2013.