A child grinds his teeth - the cause and effect of grinding

Minor defect?

Grinding of teeth in a child may seem like a minor deviation from the norm only at first glance. It’s good when this phenomenon is temporary and at the age of 5–6 years, bruxism in a child goes away on its own. But if your first-grader continues to grind his teeth at night, don't hesitate to seek medical help. Otherwise, even the permanent teeth that will replace the milk teeth will be at risk.

Recommendations from specialists for the prevention of bruxism

There are no measures that would definitely prevent attacks of teeth grinding. But you can still minimize the risk. Doctors advise breastfeeding and, when teething, give the baby special teethers so that he can scratch his itchy gums against them and not against each other. The child also needs to be provided with a comfortable, stress-free home environment. And, of course, treat the baby if there are malocclusions and other pathologies that cause bruxism.

Important: do not leave the problem without a solution. It needs to be dealt with as early as possible. Remember that your child's health depends on you. Visit your pediatric dentist and he will give you the necessary recommendations.

The dental network offers services for diagnosing and treating bruxism in children. Our specialists are highly qualified and regularly improve their skills in leading Russian and European clinics. We have a system of family and cumulative discounts.

You can contact any of the branches of our center in Moscow, located within walking distance from metro stations:

• Art. Alekseevskaya (VDNKh district, etc. Mira), address: st. 3rd Mytishchiskaya house 3, building 2;
• Art. Shelepikha, address: Shelepikhinskaya embankment, address: building 34, building 1.

The problem of bruxism can be solved! A comprehensive approach to each clinical case allows our specialists to provide effective assistance, regardless of the severity of the disease. We are waiting for you every day!

Symptoms of childhood bruxism

• Headache in the morning
• Feeling of fullness in the ears
• Complaints of pain in the back
• Unmotivated irritability and tearfulness
• Restless sleep with frequent crying
• Lack of appetite
• Rapid tooth wear (this symptom can only be determined by a dentist during an examination!)

Attention!

A high temperature and grinding of teeth in a child may be a reaction of the body to a routine vaccination carried out the day before.

Is bruxism dangerous?

Whatever developmental feature or physiological abnormality in children is discussed, the first question that any parent asks is whether this poses a danger to the baby? If the only danger of bruxism in adults is interfering with the sleep of others and, in rare cases, erasing the enamel, then with children everything is more complicated. Bruxism in a child, especially in an infant under 1 year of age, can have the following unpleasant consequences:

• Erasure of enamel and development of caries, as well as other dental diseases.
• The child may develop malocclusion.
• The baby may wake up and cry due to the grinding of his own teeth, or even get scared.
• Lack of a good night's rest.

To be fair, it should be noted that in the vast majority of cases, bruxism in children goes away on its own, without any consequences. However, the possibility of adverse consequences should not be completely discounted.

Let us also dispel another parental nightmare associated with the night grinding of teeth - bruxism cannot cause the death of an infant. Long-term observations of infants from birth to 8 months allow us to state with complete confidence that sudden infant death syndrome is in no way associated with involuntary chewing movements during sleep.

Causes of teeth grinding in children

Switching to artificial feeding

Teeth grinding in a child aged 8–10 months may be associated with early weaning from the mother's breast. This is extremely stressful for the baby. According to statistics, it is male “artificials” who most often suffer from bruxism. In this regard, increased attention should be paid to ensuring that the baby receives breast milk in full for as long as possible. To do this, the mother is advised to maintain a drinking regime, regularly express excess milk and avoid worries.

Teeth cutting or changing teeth

Teeth grinding during the day, which parents can notice by a specific sound, usually appears after the eruption of another baby tooth. The child is simply curious about new sensations, and he “plays”, deliberately creating friction between the teeth. As a rule, he quickly gets bored with this, but years later, when baby teeth are replaced with permanent ones, the picture may repeat. Read more about teething in this article.

Dental pathologies

When a child turns one year old, teeth grinding may indicate the presence of some abnormalities in the functioning of the dental system. An incorrect bite, inflammation of the jaw or pathological development of the joint are reasons to “grind” in order to more conveniently position the teeth in the mouth. Only an orthodontist can determine the specific cause. Read more about this here.

Stressful situations

If the day has come and a child of 2–3 years old does not stop grinding his teeth, this is a signal of a problem in his nervous system. In this way, the baby reacts to the stress he has experienced. The trigger for this can be both strong negative emotions (separation from a favorite toy, starting a visit to kindergarten or “eviction” from the parents’ bed), as well as positive ones that lead to strong overexcitation (outdoor games, the arrival of relatives with other children, etc.) .

Sleep disturbance

If a child has difficulty falling asleep, snores, mumbles in his sleep, suffers from enuresis or somnambulism, this may cause teeth grinding at night. Inadequate sleep negatively affects the child’s body and is a trigger for spasms of the masticatory muscles. The task of parents is to ensure that the baby gets enough sleep.

Wrong diet

Sometimes the reasons for teeth grinding in a child’s sleep lie on the surface - the parents themselves are responsible for this, having failed to create an optimal feeding regime. In order not to provoke involuntary contractions of the masticatory muscles, the last meal should be completed 2 hours before going to bed. Kefir is allowed 1 hour before bedtime.

Avitaminosis

Are you looking for reasons why your child grinds his teeth during the day? Analyze how much vitamins and minerals he receives from food during breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. A deficiency of B vitamins, coupled with insufficient intake of magnesium and calcium into a growing child’s body, can lead to overstrain of the masticatory muscles. Only a pediatrician should determine the required dosage of a particular vitamin after an examination.

Upper respiratory tract diseases

Coughing and grinding of teeth in a child along with nasal congestion are a characteristic manifestation of sinusitis or bronchitis. In this case, bruxism will go away as soon as the disease that caused it is cured. If you notice that your cough does not go away, despite all the traditional measures taken to combat it, then do not delay a visit to an infectious disease doctor.

ENT diseases

Grinding of a child's teeth at night is also one of the main symptoms of adenoiditis - inflammation of the tonsils. The complex of unpleasant sensations caused by an increase in the size of the adenoids literally forces you to grind your teeth. The first thing that should alert parents in this situation is a constantly slightly open mouth.

The famous pediatrician Komarovsky claims: bruxism in children is more likely to occur if their parents suffered from it in childhood!

Treatment of bruxism and its prevention

Parents must have knowledge that periodic teeth grinding can occur in almost every baby, and the baby can make characteristic sounds both at night and during the day. If such a phenomenon occurs periodically and lasts up to 20 seconds, you can ignore it. If you experience intense and frequent teeth grinding, be sure to contact a specialist. A dentist and a neurologist will help you figure out why your baby grinds his teeth at night. And if bruxism occurs as a result of an unstable emotional state of the baby, you cannot do without the help of a dentist. It will help prevent the process of tooth abrasion, which can occur as a result of excessive friction during night grinding. If such a need arises, the child will need to have individual mouth guards made, or the doctor will recommend using special protective linings that are designed to protect the teeth from injury. Often, enhanced vitamin and mineral treatment can help with bruxism, because a deficiency of magnesium, calcium or B vitamins can cause pathological spasms of the jaw muscles during sleep. Therefore, if bruxism occurs due to a lack of vitamins or microelements, then properly selected complex treatment will help to completely eliminate this phenomenon.

Additional measures

As mentioned above, if a baby grinds his teeth at night, this may occur as a result of disruption of the normal functioning of the nervous system, being in a state of stress, emotional tension, etc. Pay attention to exactly what psychological situation your child is in, ask about his time at school or kindergarten, talk with teachers or educators. Be sure to pay attention to providing psychological comfort in the evening. Do not scold or punish your child before bedtime, exclude evening computer games and watching TV shows. You can take a walk with your child before bed, listen to calm, quiet music, read an interesting book, or just chat. Organize the correct daily routine, dose physical activity wisely, and ensure sufficient time in the fresh air. Pediatricians recommend putting the baby to bed an hour earlier than usual if parents notice teeth grinding in their sleep, since very often this phenomenon can occur as a result of excessive fatigue. Remember how much your child needs warmth and your attention. Try to talk to him before going to bed. A heart-to-heart conversation with parents will help the baby get rid of emotional discomfort, fears, fall asleep soundly and sleep peacefully until the morning, without making creaking sounds in his sleep.

What to do if your child grinds his teeth?

1. The first step is to make an appointment with a dentist and pediatric neurologist. The first will give practical recommendations on how to prevent enamel wear, the second will determine why the child has teeth grinding.
2. Monitor the psychological microclimate in the family. The child should be honest about his worries and be sure that he will receive help from his parents.
3. Adjust your daily routine. An hour before going to bed, the child should be occupied with a calm activity to avoid overstimulation of the nervous system.
4. Balance the children's menu. The daily diet should include solid vegetables and fruits - the load on the masticatory muscles during wakefulness will lead to their relaxation during sleep.
5. Teach self-control. In the form of a joint game, practice every day following the simple rule: “Lips are closed, teeth are apart.” This way, the baby will not form the bad habit of clenching his teeth during the day, even at the moment of strong excitement.

Bruxism: treatment in adults

In many cases, treatment is not absolutely necessary.
As we have already said: in many children, bruxism goes away on its own without treatment by adolescence. Additionally, most adults do not clench their teeth so severely that it requires therapy. However, it is very important to determine how serious the problem is for you. And for this, of course, you need specialist advice (24stoma.ru). The choice of treatment methods will depend on the severity of bruxism and the primary cause of its development. So, if your dentist suspects a significant psychological component to teeth grinding, the dentist may also recommend that you consult a psychotherapist in order to use medications to normalize sleep and relieve increased anxiety.

Dental treatment methods –

These methods help protect teeth from decay and premature wear. You need to understand that they themselves cannot stop bruxism, and only perform a protective function.

• Splints and mouthguards - they protect teeth from grinding and excessive compression. They can be made from hard acrylic or soft materials. They are usually used only at night while sleeping.

• Selective grinding of teeth - if the cause of bruxism is an incorrect relationship between the chewing surfaces of the lower and upper teeth, you may be offered selective grinding of the teeth, which consists of creating the correct contacts between the upper and lower teeth.

• Prosthetics – in severe forms of bruxism, when there is significant abrasion of the chewing surfaces of the teeth, artificial crowns are used to restore teeth and protect them from further destruction.

Drug therapy –

Medications are usually not very effective in treating bruxism, and dental treatments are best. However, in some conditions associated with hyperactivity and increased nervousness, medications may have an additional effect. Examples of medications that may be used for bruxism include:

• Muscle relaxants – In some cases, your doctor may suggest that you take a muscle relaxant before bed for a short period of time. It must be taken into account that these are prescription drugs that reduce reaction time, which can be dangerous for motorists.

• Botox injections into the masticatory muscles - such injections are used for severe forms of bruxism when other treatment methods have been ineffective. A carefully selected concentration of Botox in this case will help reduce the force of contraction of the masticatory muscles.

Prevention measures

Of course, when a child grinds his teeth, parents are interested in whether it is possible to somehow prevent the development of the disease? Unfortunately, today there is no specific prevention of bruxism. But if you follow simple rules, it is quite possible to minimize the risk of its occurrence.

• Pay attention to hygiene
  The banal advice is not without common sense. Judge for yourself: a common cause of bruxism is a defensive reaction to the eruption of a new tooth. During the process, the gums become inflamed and mild itching may occur. It is advisable to give your child special teethers made of safe materials so that he does not rub his teeth against each other. Also, do not ignore brushing your teeth with special fingertips.

• No stress!
  Do you want your child to avoid grinding his teeth all night long and then all day long? Eliminate any nervous stress from his life. It is generally accepted that only what happens directly to him can have a negative impact on the baby’s psyche. In fact, your quarrel with your spouse or a loud conversation on the phone with a work colleague can negatively affect his mood.

• Fight bad habits
  Today, any doctor will tell you that the causes of teeth grinding are both an incorrect bite and a fixed pathological reflex, for example, sucking a pacifier to calm down in a stressful situation. Therefore, it is worthwhile to gently but decisively fight childhood bad habits and promptly consult an orthodontist if necessary.

Why does a child grind his teeth in his sleep and what to do about it?

Bruxism, or involuntary grinding of teeth, is common in people of all ages. But, according to WHO, this problem occurs in only 3% of adults and almost 50% of children. A very common situation, one might say, familiar to many parents, is far from harmless.

Why does teeth grinding occur?

Finding the cause and starting treatment for teeth grinding while sleeping can be difficult. There are a number of possible factors worth considering:

• Heredity. If one of the parents suffered from such a disorder, the risk of developing bruxism in their child increases significantly.
• Malocclusion. Incorrect position of the teeth causes improper distribution of the chewing load, resulting in persistent muscle tension. During sleep, the muscles try to relax, involuntary contractions occur, as if a child is “scratching” his teeth against each other.
• Psycho-emotional overload. Experiences accumulated during the day that have not found a way out can manifest themselves through clenching of teeth at night.
• Enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsils. Adenoids prevent the child from breathing properly during sleep, resulting in night wheezing, coughing, apnea and grinding of teeth.
• Unusual sensations. When a child gets his first teeth, he needs time to get used to them. In this case, creaking at night is a kind of examination of your own teeth.
• Problems with enamel. Due to a lack of vitamins and minerals, the enamel becomes thinner and becomes too sensitive. By rubbing one jaw against the other, the baby tries to get rid of unpleasant sensations.

But the connection between bruxism and helminthiasis (worms in a child) is absolutely not confirmed by official medicine and is only a widespread misconception among the people.

What are the risks of bruxism in children?

Without timely treatment of bruxism in children, the entire dentofacial apparatus suffers and the following dental complications arise:

• abrasion of tooth enamel and crowns in general, resulting in hyperesthesia, sensitivity to cold and hot foods,
• curvature of the dentition and displacement of teeth, malocclusion,
• destruction of hard dentin tissue, development of mobility and early loss of teeth,
• injuries to the tongue and gums,
• overstrain, inflammation and deformation of the jaw joints.

During night sleep, the baby does not experience discomfort, but his awakening field may manifest itself in a manner incomprehensible to him and his parents:

• headache;
• feeling tired;
• jaw pain;
• discomfort in the sinuses;
• ringing or pain in the ears.

If a child grinds his teeth in his sleep and is not treated, this can also lead to neurological disorders. The fact is that nervous overstrain only manifests itself through bruxism, but does not go away, but only worsens after such attacks.

What to do if your child grinds his teeth

For diagnosis, additional neurological examinations are usually prescribed: polysomnography (sleep phase analysis), electroencephalography, electromyography. Also popular is the checker beam - a method of identifying excessive load on certain teeth using special mouthguards worn at night.

Depending on the identified cause, treatment for bruxism in children may include:

• drug therapy (B vitamins, magnesium and calcium, mild sedatives and sleeping pills),
• relaxing massage sessions,
• psychotherapy,
• dental procedures.

What does modern dentistry offer?

If a child grinds his teeth in his sleep, treatment at the dentist involves restoring severely damaged teeth and remotherapy of weakened enamel.

Special mouthguards will help protect your teeth from ongoing bruxism. These are soft, thin silicone pads that prevent the upper and lower jaws from closing during spasms and prevent tooth wear. They are:

• daytime, for constant wear, which does not interfere with the child’s talking and eating;
• nightwear, worn only while sleeping.

It is important to choose the right mouthguard to ensure a tight fit of the lining in the oral cavity and reliable fixation of the teeth when closed. To do this, you should contact experienced dentists who are well aware of the features of treating bruxism.

The dental clinic offers custom-designed mouthguards made based on the results of diagnostics and scanning of the patient’s jaws. Such pads exactly repeat the anatomical features of the oral cavity, which will give the most effective results in the treatment of bruxism.

Our mouth guards:

• easy to use, does not require getting used to,
• are made from the latest bioinert materials,
• comfortable and does not injure soft tissues,
• aesthetic and wear-resistant.

It is worth remembering that mouthguards themselves do not cure bruxism, since they do not eliminate the true, most often neurological, cause of the disease. However, wearing them during treatment or searching for the cause of the pathology reliably protects the baby’s teeth for up to 6 months, after which they need to be replaced. This way the child will keep his teeth healthy for the entire period of growing up.

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