My son is DX: ADHD/Mild Asperger, RX: Adderall XR.

I never noticed till today that my son has (or what seems) worn the top part of his molars (not all but many) off.

He's 9 years old and I can't believe I never noticed. But I can, we don't have any health insurance (haven't for many years) so we haven't had the opportunity to take ourselves to a dentist. I relied yearly on the visit of the dental hygenist that visits the school once a year. He was on Ritalin the last visit by her (September 06). Any thoughts?

Sounds like he might be grinding his teeth, which, if he is doing it, isn't good. I grind my teeth at night (aka bruxim) and my doc said that if I don't wear a night guard that I'll get crowns on my teeth sooner than later.

So, I had them make the night guard, with insurance cost me around $30 for a soft guard. I went through that in less than 6 months, so they wanted to mold me for a hard guard - which with insurance would have cost me $60.

I opted to buy a night guard from Target (costing $20) and I have to fit it to my teeth (pretty easy to do w/ the instructions). This probably lasts me almost a year.

It's definitely something to look into, because grinding teeth not only is expensive in the long run (crowns are spendy!), but then it also causes TMJ - which hurts (i have that as well from grinding my teeth).

good luck!!

(disclaimer: i'm not a trained dentist or hygenist by any means. bruxim is merely a suggestion)

i agree. sounds like teeth grinding. It could be something he is doing in his sleep or it could be his meds. When my daughter was on Ritalin she acted very strange. She would bite her cheeks in her mouth. i dont know if it's a nervous tic or what. Like Courtney said, I would get him a night guard to wear in his sleep. If he is teeth grinding I am surprised he isn't complaining about headaches. Good Luck!

stimulant meds can cause grinding of teeth and biting of cheeks and mouth, so maybe that's the problem? go to a doctor/dentist and see what they have to say, I'm not a doctor so I can't really be sure.

also, if you don't mind me asking what dose of ritalin is he on?

The dentist said it was ok (normal for kids under 12) but I was surprised the doctor had never heard of teeth grinding because of stimulants (no one ever reported that I guess).

stimulant meds can cause grinding of teeth and biting of cheeks and mouth, so maybe that's the problem? go to a doctor/dentist and see what they have to say, I'm not a doctor so I can't really be sure.

also, if you don't mind me asking what dose of ritalin is he on?

Hi there Kelly,

Have you looked into getting Child Health Plus (essentially managed medicaid for children)? It sounds as though your son needs regular visits with the dentist. I don't know your financial situation, but I can tell you that my mom lost her insurance when I was about your son's age, then I never saw a dentist until I was around 16, then found out that I had mega cavities (I currently have 9 fillings). I also grind my teeth, and have TMJ (not so bad now, but definitely painful in the past). Relying on a school nurse/dentist to identify your child's needs does nothing to actually treat those needs. There are usually county sponsored/run dental clinics that base your payment to them on your income, and if you meet financial guidelines, can be free.

Good luck.