Why Do Babies Grind Their Teeth? What’s Common and When to Ask a Dentist

Quick answer: Babies can grind their teeth, sometimes soon after the first teeth appear. It may happen while they are awake or asleep, and it can coincide with teething or a changing bite. Research has yet to identify one cause for every baby; the sound alone cannot show whether a problem exists. When your baby seems comfortable, is feeding and sleeping as usual, and the teeth look unchanged, you can note when it happens and raise it at the next dental visit. Contact a pediatric dentist sooner for a chipped or visibly worn tooth, persistent mouth or jaw discomfort, or trouble eating. Ask your pediatrician about grinding alongside ongoing snoring, gasping, pauses in breathing or restless sleep. Do not put a mouthguard in a baby’s mouth or try to stop the grinding with a device unless the child’s clinician recommends it.

That scraping sound can be startling, especially when you hear it through the monitor at night. The medical term for repeated clenching or grinding is bruxism. In babies and toddlers, the behavior may come and go as the mouth changes, but a caregiver cannot identify its cause from the sound alone. The useful questions are what else is happening, whether the teeth look different, and whether your child seems uncomfortable or has a sleep or breathing concern.

What parents can observe

Use this checklist to describe a pattern to your child’s dentist or pediatrician. It is not a diagnostic test, and you do not need to watch your baby all night.

What to notice when a baby grinds their teeth, and what to do next
What you notice	What to record	Next step
When it happens	Awake, asleep, during a nap, or around a new tooth appearing.	Note the pattern; timing can help a clinician, but it does not prove the cause.
How often and how long	Occasional or frequent; a brief spell or repeated episodes; whether it is changing.	Bring the pattern up at a routine dental visit if your baby seems well.
Comfort and eating	Persistent mouth or jaw discomfort, unusual fussiness with eating, or difficulty chewing once age-appropriate foods are offered.	Contact your child’s dentist or pediatrician for advice, especially if feeding is affected.
Teeth and gums	A chipped tooth, a new flat/worn-looking area, bleeding, swelling, or another visible change.	Arrange a dental assessment; seek prompt care for injury, significant pain or swelling.
Sleep and breathing	Persistent loud snoring, gasping, pauses, labored breathing, or repeatedly disturbed sleep.	Discuss it with your pediatrician. Seek urgent help for current difficulty breathing.

Why might a baby grind their teeth?

The honest answer is that there is no single established explanation. Pediatric research is limited, and even in older children, bruxism can have more than one contributing factor. A dentist or pediatrician considers the whole picture rather than diagnosing a cause from one symptom.

New teeth and a changing bite

Grinding may start around the time a baby’s first teeth appear or when the mouth is changing. The new sensation of teeth meeting can draw a baby’s attention, and discomfort from teething may happen at the same time. These are plausible associations, not proof that teething causes every episode. A baby may grind when no tooth is visibly erupting, too.

As more teeth come in, the way the upper and lower teeth meet changes. That can be useful context to share, but it does not mean a parent should try to adjust the bite or press the teeth into a different position.

Grinding during sleep

Some children grind or clench while asleep and do not know they are doing it. A parent may notice the sound at bedtime or during a nap. A brief noise without other concerns is different from repeated disturbed sleep or grinding alongside ongoing snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing. Those sleep and breathing signs deserve a conversation with the pediatrician; the grinding itself cannot tell you whether a child has a sleep disorder.

Stress, arousal and other factors

Stress and emotional factors are discussed in research on older children, but they should not be assumed to explain an infant’s grinding. Babies cannot describe worry, and ordinary changes in routine do not prove anxiety is the cause. Medication, health, sleep and mouth factors may also be relevant in some children. If the behavior began after a medicine was started or changed, ask the prescriber; do not stop or alter a medicine on your own.

What you can do—and what to avoid

If your baby seems comfortable and you do not see tooth damage, keep normal dental care and mention the grinding at the next visit. You can jot down when it happens, how often, whether it is awake or asleep, and any other symptoms. A short recording of the sound may help explain what you are hearing if a clinician asks, but it cannot diagnose the cause.

Do not wake your baby just to stop the grinding. It may interrupt sleep without addressing the cause.
Do not use a mouthguard, splint or other appliance unless the child’s dentist or physician directs you to. A baby’s mouth is growing, and an adult or over-the-counter device is not a safe substitute for an assessment.
Skip unproven explanations and remedies. There is not strong evidence that baby teeth grinding means parasites or a nutrient deficiency. Do not give supplements, antiparasitic products or other treatments for grinding unless a clinician recommends them for a diagnosed reason.
Do not force the jaw or teeth into a position. A clinician should evaluate a bite concern rather than a parent trying to change it at home.

When should you call a dentist or pediatrician?

Contact your baby’s dentist if you notice a chipped or worn-looking tooth, persistent mouth discomfort, or a change that concerns you. Also ask for advice if eating seems painful or feeding is affected. The dentist can examine the teeth and mouth and decide whether follow-up is needed; many children only need observation.

Talk with your pediatrician when grinding occurs alongside ongoing snoring, gasping, pauses in breathing, labored breathing, or consistently poor sleep. Grinding alone does not diagnose a breathing problem, but those accompanying signs matter. If your baby is struggling to breathe now, seek urgent medical help.

Seek prompt dental or medical advice for significant pain, facial swelling, an injury, or a sudden change in your baby’s ability to eat or drink. When uncertain, call the child’s clinician and describe the symptoms rather than relying on a home test or online explanation.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for a baby to grind their teeth?

It can occur in babies and young children, including during sleep, and many cases do not need a treatment. “Common” does not mean every pattern should be ignored: visible tooth damage, persistent pain, feeding difficulty, or sleep and breathing concerns should be discussed with a clinician.

Does teething cause babies to grind their teeth?

Grinding may coincide with teething or a changing bite, but the evidence does not establish teething as the cause in every baby. Note the timing and mention it at a dental visit, particularly if your child seems uncomfortable.

Should I put a mouthguard on my baby?

No—not unless your baby’s own dentist or physician specifically recommends and directs its use. Do not use an adult guard or buy an over-the-counter appliance for an infant.

Can grinding mean my baby has worms or lacks vitamins?

Teeth grinding by itself is not evidence of parasites or a nutrient deficiency. Avoid supplements or parasite treatments for this symptom unless a clinician identifies a separate reason for them.

Sources and evidence limits

This page summarizes general information and cannot diagnose an individual child. Pediatric bruxism research remains limited; reports of possible triggers should not be read as proven causes. Useful references include the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guide to teeth grinding in children, a review of what is known about bruxism in children, Healthdirect Australia’s children’s teeth-grinding guide, and the NIH/NIDCR’s overview of bruxism. For your child’s symptoms, contact their dentist or pediatrician.