My 8 year old son grinds his teeth at night. Should I be concerned?

A recent study in The Journal of Sleep Medicine answered this question. Almost half of all first graders in the study had parents reporting that their child grinded his or her teeth at least one time per week. This study found that grinding (bruxing) was not associated with breathing disorders during sleep or snoring. The study did find that there was an association with increased internalizing behaviors such as being depressed, being withdrawn or having anxiety. Chronic, frequent bruxism was also associated with increased health problems and decreased neurocognitive performance (learning). Grinding once a week is probably not a reason for concern. Grinding a few times a week should be checked out.