Every parent wants their child to sleep peacefully. However, have you noticed your child clenching and grinding their teeth while sleeping? There’s no need to panic about this. However, you shouldn’t just wait for it to go away on its own. Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a condition that can be encountered throughout life for many reasons. So, what causes teeth grinding in children? It’s normal for children to grind their teeth as their permanent teeth begin to come in from the age of 5. Besides this, there can be other factors that cause grinding. You can learn what you need to know about teeth grinding in children during sleep by reading our article.
It is considered normal for children to grind their teeth to a non-severe degree during the period when their primary teeth fall out and their permanent teeth erupt. Minor wear on the chewing surfaces of primary molars and canines, in particular, is important for making space for the new permanent teeth as the jaw grows. During the eruption of permanent teeth, the pressure on the gums stimulates the nerve endings in the surrounding tissues and the chewing muscles. Teeth grinding that occurs for this reason generally disappears when all permanent teeth have erupted.
Pediatricians and dentists also see the following among the causes of teeth grinding in babies and children:
As a parent, you want to find a solution to your child’s teeth grinding problem. For this, you first need to learn the causes of teeth grinding during sleep. When such a situation occurs, your first step should be to go to a dentist to have your child’s jaw structure and teeth checked to see if they are normal.
When children start school, their relationship with foods like chocolate, sugar, and fast food can increase. It may seem very indirect to you, but reflux and intestinal parasites can also cause teeth grinding. If your child’s teeth grinding is accompanied by excessive drooling during sleep, intestinal parasites could be the primary suspect.
In addition to these, nasal congestion, respiratory tract inflammation, chronic sinusitis, and an unhealthy diet can also cause teeth grinding. Now let’s talk about the symptoms of teeth grinding in children.
As with any medical problem, bruxism (teeth grinding) also has symptoms that manifest themselves. It is very important for parents to monitor these symptoms. The frequency and number of symptoms will guide you. This way, you can notice if there is any damage to your child’s tooth structure and consult a doctor.
The symptoms seen in children who experience bruxism are as follows:
You can also notice the increase in teeth sensitivity from the twinge they feel when eating or drinking something cold or hot.
The answer to the question “How to stop teeth grinding in children during sleep?” is a common topic of curiosity for many parents experiencing this. For older children, the problem of teeth grinding that causes misalignment of teeth or severe pain is usually treated with a protective appliance. This appliance is called a night guard. The appliance is a flexible, thin piece of plastic that fits over the upper teeth to protect the teeth from damage. However, the teeth of growing children are constantly changing, and this situation prevents the appliance from fitting properly. Also, various difficulties can be experienced in getting children to wear this appliance.
In essence, there is no specific treatment method for teeth grinding. If the cause of this condition is stress and anxiety, you can hug your child or read them nice stories before they sleep. You can help them take up hobbies and relax in their daily life.
Waking your child who is grinding their teeth from sleep is not the right move. This will disrupt your child’s sleep pattern.
To protect the oral and dental health of your children, you can benefit from our pedodontics service. For the dental health of babies, you can review our article titled when do babies’ teeth erupt.
If your child has teeth grinding and it is constantly recurring, it is time to make an appointment with a dentist. The dentist will first check for any broken, damaged, or chipped teeth. They will want to check if there is any misalignment of the teeth causing the grinding. If there is any tooth damage, they will plan a treatment to address it.
What vitamin deficiency causes teeth grinding?
Poor nutrition and especially a deficiency of vitamin B5, known as the anti-stress vitamin, is an important factor.
What helps with teeth grinding?
Reducing stress, using a mouth guard, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol are effective in preventing teeth grinding.
