Happy Groundhog Day 2012!
Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are commonly found in North America and have four large, chisel-like incisor teeth. These teeth grow about 1/16 an inch every week and because of this they must spend much of their time nibbling at wood to wear them down. If they don’t they may jeopardize their own lives.
Like groundhogs some children with CDKL5 disorder spend time grinding their teeth. Some so much so that their molars are in line with the gum line. Unlike the groundhogs, teeth grinding for CDKL5 children is not a good thing! The only way to help with prevention is a mouth guard. However, since the grinding does not usually occur at specific times like when sleeping for patients normally requiring a mouth guard it makes prevention difficult.
Harper tends to grind her teeth more when she is cutting them and she tends to cut her teeth two at a time. Currently she is cutting her two year old molars on the top. This means the bottom ones are sure to come soon! The grinding makes my teeth hurt!! We have a dental appointment soon and maybe they will have some suggestions to provide some relief for her. We do use the orajel q-tip swabs and find that have less grinding when her teeth are more comfortable.
I’ll let you know if Harper spots her shadow and agrees with the groundhog of Punxsutawney this morning on the winter weather prediction. Funny Fact: this weather predicting ground from the 19th century has only been correct 35% of the time!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/groundhog-day-2012-facts_n_1245259.html