Help Improve an Orphan's Smile!

Find out how you can lend a helping hand!

Why help?

This month, eight Temple dental students and two Temple-trained dentists (which include Dr. Radin and her daughter, Bari Levine) will return to an orphanage outside of Lima, Peru, to provide free dental care and education to 500 children, and follow up on dental research implemented last summer.

What have we accomplished so far?

In August 2013, Dr. Radin, Bari, and three Temple dental students, traveled to La Sagrada Familia Orphanage in La Ventanilla, Peru, to donate dental supplies and implement a supervised tooth-brushing program.  In the program, 140 children were screened and educated about the importance of oral health.  Nine supervisors were trained to watch the children while they brushed their teeth.

What did our research show?

• 52% of the children had at least one dental cavity;
• 11% of the children had at least one dental abscess;
• 80% of the children had the highest levels of dental plague;
• 42% of the children did not own a toothbrush;
• After one week, we saw statistically significant changes in oral health behavior and knowledge.

According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Dentistry for Children, about 38 percent of children grind their teeth, a condition called Bruxism.  The average age for starting the habit is around 3 1/2 years and the average age for stopping is 6 - though, of course, people of all ages grind their teeth. Almost all teeth grinding happens at night.

Bruxism is the medical term for the grinding of teeth or the clenching of jaws. Bruxism often occurs during deep sleep or while under stress. Two to three out of every 10 kids will grind or clench, experts say, but most outgrow it.

Causes of Bruxism

Though studies have been done, no one knows why bruxism happens. But in some cases, kids may grind because the top and bottom teeth aren't aligned properly. Others do it as a response to pain, such as an earache or teething. Kids might grind their teeth as a way to ease the pain, just as they might rub a sore muscle.

Stress - usually nervous tension or anger - is another cause. For instance, a child might worry about a test at school or a change in routine (a new sibling or a new teacher). Even arguing with parents and siblings can cause enough stress to prompt teeth grinding or jaw clenching.

Some kids who are hyperactive also experience bruxism. And sometimes kids with other medical conditions (such as cerebral palsy) or on certain medications can develop bruxism.

Effects of Bruxism

Many cases of bruxism go undetected with no adverse effects, while others cause headaches or earaches. Usually, though, it's more bothersome to other family members because of the grinding sound.

In some circumstances, nighttime grinding and clenching can wear down tooth enamel, chip teeth, increase temperature sensitivity, and cause severe facial pain and jaw problems, such as temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ). Most kids who grind, however, do not have TMJ problems unless their grinding and clenching is chronic.

Many kids outgrow these fairly commons causes for grinding, but if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask us.

Source: Kidshealth.org