Having had 15 years in the dental field I can tell you there is little to nothing you can do about it without a dentist being involved and even then, very, very little they can do without the aid of some sort of orthodontic appliance that is cemented in place. It's pretty normal for little one's to grind in the night. My son did it for what seemed like forever, but he grew out of it. But every child is different and I cannot diagnose or recommend that you do or don't at least talk to a pro near you.

You're best off to just call his dentist (or your dentist) and just ask a question without having to set up an appointment, be honest about why you don't want to, and just talk to the office for a few minutes. Pediatricians do this, and so should your dentist. The dentist can then ask you how severe the damage looks, and about if he is getting headaches, jaw aches etc. After that, you can make your best, and educated decision about making or not making an appointment for your little guy.

Good luck momma :)

This is so bizarre! My daughter's teeth grinding has gotten horrible! Because of space issues, we sleep in the same bed and the sound has woken me up, and lets just say, i've slept through earthquakes! I just searched the internet and Natasha is right-there is not much you can do about it. Some sights suggest eliminating or lessening stress, massage, peaceful bedtime rituals etc. I did notice my daughter (6) has always done this, but it has gotten worse with her new school schedule...good luck!

All of the suggestions mentioned are really great, I would just add that conscious relaxation of the jaw really helped me. If there is a way that these kids can incorporate bringing attentive relaxation to their jaw throughout the day, it will be great training for their mouth and body awareness, in general.

A mouth guard is pretty important to protect the teeth and it will help prevent against joint dysfunction in the jaw.

My daughter has ground her teeth since she was 10 months old! She ground down her front baby teeth a bit, and she still grinds her teeth at 4 1/2. I asked my dentist and he said the same things, "She'll grow out of it," but I'm still concerned. She hasn't had stress during these entire 4 years, and it doesn't seem to correlate with a particularly stressful day, it's just all the time. And that horribl squeaking grinding sound, it makes me want to cry when I hear it at night.

I will definitely try the rescue remedy and the cranial sacral is a good idea too.

I'll be curious to hear other suggestions as well!

~Valya