Children grinding their teeth at night is likely a subconscious response to stress and anxiety or the result of dental problems or even other diseases. What could cause children to grind their teeth? In this article on kidsrush.com, we will tell you what are the causes, symptoms, and solutions for bruxism in children. Let’s Start!
Parafunctional dental activity known as bruxism has a range of causes, ranging from infections to a variety of sleep disorders. It is a common disorder in childhood.
In addition to mouth breathing and tonsil enlargement, denture restorations with high fillings, diseases such as nutritional deficiencies, allergies, intestinal parasites, endocrine disorders, and mental issues such as anxiety can cause bruxism in children.
It has been difficult for dentists to find an effective treatment solution for teeth grinding. However, some recommended strategies have been proven to work.
In the majority of cases, child-related bruxism cannot be prevented since it’s a natural response to grow. However, stress-induced bruxism can be prevented.
Introduction Of Bruxism In Children
Children with jaw clenching are more likely to develop dental lesions and malocclusions during their first five years of life. It can be very mild at times or severe enough to wake their parents and siblings.
Primary and secondary forms of this disorder can be observed, and the causes can range from local to systemic to psychological. It occurs by the time children are about to have their permanent teeth, but typically disappears by adolescence.
Parents of children and adolescents are recommended a series of specific recommendations that are effective for treating bruxism. At Kidsrush.com, these tips have had impressive results.
Related: Jaw Pain In Children: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Bruxism types
Primary: There is no specific medical reason for this type.
Secondary: Parafunctional oral movements might also result from mental disorders (anxiety and depression) or drugs, or underlying illnesses like Parkinson’s or respiratory problems like apnea. The medication for the underlying disorder should usually be able to resolve the second type.
Bruxism period
A small percentage of children continue grinding their teeth into adulthood as the result of stress, which is often a lifelong issue. However, sometimes, children’s jaw clenching is treated by the growth of the jaw or entering adolescence.
Related: The order of a loss of baby teeth in children
Bruxism In Children: Causes
Reference books on Pediatric Dentistry list the following factors that can cause clenching.
Local factors: Interferences between teeth, fillings with excessive amounts of fluoride, or low quality of restorations can be irritating.
Systemic factors: Malnutrition, allergies, and metabolic disorders are also common parasitic and digestive diseases.
Psychological factors: Stress and personality disorders
The justified factors that cause bruxism are crowded and irregular teeth as well as inadequate contact between the upper and lower teeth.
It may be useful to consider habits such as biting your nails, chewing pencils, or pens as methods for clenching your jaw.
Tonsils with large sizes, which can restrict air passages, can be a contributing factor in some situations.
Factors contributing to bruxism include excessive anxiety, intake of caffeine-containing beverages, cigarettes, narcotics, and psychotropic medications.
Many children with hyperactivity also suffer from this disorder. Mentally retarded, cerebrally palsied, or drug-using children may also suffer from this condition.
Another cause of jaw clenching is giving birth to a second child while unconscious or paying too much attention to the new child.
The argument or fighting between siblings or parents, or problems in school or kindergarten, are also factors to be taken into account.
Bruxism: Signs and symptoms
There are usually no specific symptoms of bruxism, but it may cause tooth enamel to be worn away to the extent that it causes tooth sensitivities, cracked teeth, and even tooth crown fractures. In the posterior teeth, cusp erosion can sometimes be visible.
Additionally, you may experience headaches, toothaches, gum disease, tooth mobility, periodontal disease, atypical facial pain, ulcers, or pain in the cheeks.
It is common to see inflammation and swelling at the side of the lower jaw where the teeth are locked together.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders may also be a cause of oral parafunctional activity in children. However, most children who do not have jaw problems do not necessarily develop TMJ disorders unless they develop severe bruxism.
Related: Can Teething Cause a Fever in Babies?
Specific suggestions
We should determine the causes of tooth clenching and then look for treatment for these problems. For people who clench their teeth, the first step is identifying problems at home and in their family and finding a solution for those problems.
Teeth grinding should be searched in children’s discomfort and psychological pressure caused by our surroundings, such as child’s parents leaving the child asleep and going to work. For instance, children who awaken and find their mothers gone have panicked and experienced stress.
Here are some important recommendations from Kids Rush:
- Preventing children from feeling stressed before bedtime
- Massages and stretching exercises help children relax their muscles.
- Before going to bed, reading the book ( For more you can read our article: The tale of the dreaming cat |Short bedtime stories for kids|)
- Pre-sleep water consumption
- Music with light and soulful tone
- Provide kids a warm towel to snuggle with
- Making certain kids do not chew on pencils or pens
- During the day, they cannot chew gum.
- A pediatric dentist examines a child’s dental restorations
The Bottom Line
Stress and anxiety can trigger bruxism in children, but a major cause is crooked teeth, tooth loss, and extra teeth. Most frequently occurs during sleep.
Several factors can give rise to bruxism in children, e .g congestion of teeth, missing teeth, an inappropriate connection between upper and lower teeth, diseases for example malnutrition, nutritional insufficiencies, allergies, and immunological disorders, anxiety, and stress.
Although this habit is usually lost after teeth erupt, if it is diagnosed early, tooth clenching can be treated by knowing the primary causes of the problem. If it is revealed later and bruxism has become a habit, the habit needs to be modified.