The child grinds his teeth when teething. Video: correct and incorrect bite. A child grinds his teeth when he has

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is a phenomenon that affects both children and adults. But if adults grind their teeth in most cases during sleep, then a child grinds his teeth during the day. For a child, teeth grinding does not pose any danger, and it often goes away on its own, but if it bothers you greatly, you can contact a specialist who will find out the cause of this phenomenon and help in choosing a solution to the problem.

Many children often grind their teeth, and this can happen both unconsciously during sleep and during the daytime. It is impossible to say with certainty why a child grinds his teeth, since there are several explanations for this phenomenon. Before using any means to combat teeth grinding, it is important to find out the exact cause that is bothering your baby.

• Most often, teeth grinding is explained by the instability of the child’s psyche. The baby cannot yet formulate his thoughts, so grinding indicates excessive excitement, aggression or frustration. This also explains nighttime teeth grinding in adults, who, unlike children, are able to control their emotions all the time, except during sleep, when the body acts unconsciously. Sedatives and stabilization of the environment will help get rid of this phenomenon.
• Another common reason that a child grinds his teeth is a new condition for the baby due to teething (by the way, in this case the grinding can be observed both during the day and during sleep). Until the child gets used to the renewed gums, the creaking will continue; usually this condition lasts no more than a month and does not cause any particular harm to the baby’s teeth or behavior.
• People say that teeth grinding in a child can occur as a result of helminth damage to the body, but from a medical point of view there is no connection between these two phenomena, so we can say with confidence that this opinion is wrong. By the way, it won’t hurt both children and adults to prevent helminths.
• A hereditary factor can also cause teeth grinding in a young child. If any of your family members suffered from bruxism, your baby may also be predisposed to it. In this case, it is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of this phenomenon; you can only wait for the habit to disappear on its own.
• An incorrect bite can also cause teeth grinding, since incorrect positioning of teeth leads to muscle tension, and scratching your teeth against each other allows you to quickly relieve this unpleasant sensation. A dentist will help correct the problem by correcting incorrect areas or prescribing straightening dental braces, but such correction is only possible at school age and older.
• A child may grind his teeth due to enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsils, since large adenoids make it difficult for the baby to breathe during sleep, which causes teeth grinding, wheezing, etc.
• It is very rare, but it happens that a baby grinds his teeth during sleep and during the day due to a lack of calcium in the body. The lack of this important component makes the tooth enamel thin, so it is gradually destroyed and becomes very sensitive, the child tries to eliminate the unpleasant sensations by rubbing and chewing, which is why an irritating creak occurs;
• Children 3-4 years old may grind their teeth as a sign of protest, for example, disagreement with their mother’s opinion or objections to prohibitions. This phenomenon is especially often observed in families where the child is punished for the slightest disagreement with the opinion of adults. Unable to express his objection, the child protests internally, which is manifested in teeth grinding, redness of the face and tension in posture.

It is not always possible to find out the reason why a child grinds his teeth, but in most cases it goes away on its own, the main thing is to steadily withstand this period and not get nervous, even if the grinding causes you great anxiety. The baby will not understand the reasons for your dissatisfaction, since he does not see anything bad in this fact, but will become wary of you.

Even though teeth grinding is common and relatively harmless, many parents are concerned and frightened by it. To help your child quickly overcome this habit, try the following recommendations:

• Analyze the child’s emotional state: perhaps he usually grinds his teeth after active games or certain activities that he does reluctantly. If this is the reason, free your little one from an uncomfortable pastime, as a result of this the unpleasant phenomenon will disappear by itself;
• if grinding most often occurs during sleep, before going to bed, use soothing bath infusions, aromatic oils and incense that calm the nervous system. Warm tea with mint and lemon balm will also help: such remedies will relieve nervous tension, and teeth grinding in your sleep will disappear as if it never happened;
• If grinding occurs and continues during teething, it will not be possible to completely eliminate tooth grinding until the last tooth appears, because friction with teeth helps relieve pain. Rubber teethers can speed up the teething process a little during the day, and hard fruits and vegetables will help increase the load on the jaw and quickly heal swollen gums. To eliminate teeth grinding during sleep, use cooling gels and mousses for newborns;
• Having found out that the baby grinds his teeth simply because he likes this sound, explain to him that such behavior will lead to disastrous consequences, and his teeth will hurt. As an argument, show him pictures of people with problem teeth or take him to the dentist for a routine examination. Most often, after seeing a lot of scary tools in the doctor’s office, children very quickly completely stop their bad habit;
• It happens that a child simply attracts attention by grinding. Perhaps he simply lacks communication with you, and in this way he is trying to call you to him. If the baby is not talking yet, words cannot solve the problem, try spending the whole day with him, and if at this time the baby does not squeak his gums, then this is his way of gaining attention. If an older child acts this way, explain to him that it is much easier not to annoy you with a squeak, but to simply call him, and the problem will be solved.

Remember, the main cause of teeth grinding during sleep and during the day is emotional fluctuations and disruptions in the rhythm of life, so before going to the doctor, try to create a positive atmosphere at home for your baby, eliminate sources of irritation and spend as much time with him as possible to control his condition. If these measures help, there is no need to visit the doctor, but if the child still grinds his teeth, the help of a specialist will not hurt.

The phenomenon when a child grinds his teeth is called bruxism in medical practice. According to research, this problem is typical for every third and even every second child of younger and middle age. The nature of bruxism has not yet been fully elucidated: it is either a disease or a normal reaction of the body to some irritants.

However, there are several most likely assumptions why a child grinds his teeth during sleep:

1. This phenomenon may well be inherited. If at least one of the parents grinds their teeth in their sleep, then the child may also have a predisposition to bruxism at the genetic level.

2. Stress, mental, nervous, emotional stress may well cause night teeth grinding. If a child grinds his teeth, then it is very likely that something is bothering the baby. In this case, you need to contact a psychotherapist, neurologist or psychologist.

3. is usually accompanied by itching and discomfort. At this time, there may be a strong desire to scratch your teeth and not only in your sleep. Therefore, during this period it is also observed, but in this case it is a safe phenomenon that does not require special measures.

4. The child grinds his teeth also as a result of an incorrect bite. Various types of disorders of the dental or jaw system often cause muscle tension and a strong desire to grind the teeth, as a result of which they grind against each other.

5. Sleep disorder, disturbances in the depth of sleep. Grinding of teeth in this case is on a par with snoring and enuresis.

Due to the incompletely studied nature of this phenomenon, it cannot be specific and effective. However, in any case, you should contact specialists such as a neurologist and dentist. A neurologist will help identify the psychological cause of teeth grinding, and the dentist will take measures to protect the teeth from destruction during friction. Most often, a special splint is made that is placed on the teeth at night to protect them from friction.

Manifestations of teeth grinding can be very different. There are manifestations that are insignificant in duration, no more than ten seconds. They do not pose any serious danger to the child's body. When a child intensively grinds his teeth many times at night, lasting much more than ten seconds, then in this case you should seriously think about treatment. This primarily applies to children who suffer from bruxism for many months or even years.

Treatment of bruxism depends entirely on many factors: the time of development of the disease, the age of the child, the possible causes and nature of the manifestation of teeth grinding. Very often, it is quite possible to eliminate night bruxism on your own at home. However, if necessary, you should never refuse the help of specialists. Indeed, in subsequent adult life, the consequences of bruxism may well create some discomfort and difficulties in communication. In addition to severe tooth wear and damage to the temporomandibular joint, there is a very high probability of developing dental diseases such as periodontitis, caries and others. Very often, children who grind their teeth experience wear on their incisors and canines.

Many parents complain that their child grinds his teeth during the day. Is this related to the presence of pathology in the body or is it a physiological process that does not require specialist intervention? Let's take a closer look at why children grind their teeth during the day and how to deal with it.

Causes of daytime teeth grinding

Doctors call teeth grinding bruxism. Pathology can manifest itself both during the day and at night. When examining small patients, doctors do not detect any abnormalities, but there are still some reasons why a child clenches his teeth tightly:

• Stressful situations;
• Sleep disturbances;
• Diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract;
• Teething period;
• Malocclusion;
• Heredity;
• Abrupt cessation of breastfeeding;
• Muscle spasm;
• Manifestation of aggression.

What is the relationship between nervous disorders and teeth grinding?

Children are very susceptible to nervous tension and disorders. What seems like a trifle to adults, is a real tragedy to a child. Parents' quarrels, loud screams, noisy games before bedtime - all this affects the state of the baby's nervous system. Trying to compensate for a nervous disorder, the body reacts to a stressful situation by grinding its teeth during the day.

The inability to fall asleep for a long time or frequent awakenings at night is a symptom of a malfunction of the central nervous system. Such children need a thorough examination by a neurologist. During daytime sleep, the mother hears the child clench his teeth. At the same time there is a terrible creak. During sleep, all processes in the body slow down: pulse, breathing and blood pressure stabilize. If sleep is disturbed, the opposite occurs: nervous tension causes muscle spasms and jaw closure. At the same time, the pressure increases, the pulse becomes faster, and breathing becomes shallow. After stimulation of the central nervous system, the child wakes up. This explains frequent awakenings and short sleep duration.

Muscle spasms occur involuntarily. It is impossible to control this process. When there is a deficiency in the human body of vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, muscle spasms occur; the jaw muscles, in this case, are no exception. A lack of magnesium, calcium and B vitamins leads to central nervous system disorders.

Heredity or teething

For many children, bruxism is “passed on” by their parents. This is also a kind of pathology of the nervous system, which is based on a genetic predisposition. Hereditary bruxism has not been confirmed by doctors, so you should not rely on the fact that the dad had it and went away, and the baby will go away. Everything has its time.

Time actually plays an important role. Children's bruxism goes away by the time they reach school age, but you shouldn't let things take their course. It makes sense to seek advice from specialists.

Many mothers notice that the baby grinds his teeth while playing. Very often this symptom appears when the first baby teeth appear. The gums swell and swell, causing discomfort in the oral cavity. Teeth grinding is a desire to scratch your gums. If the reason is teething, there is no need to worry. Soon, only memories will remain from a bad habit.

Dental or respiratory problems

Malocclusion in childhood is very common. This is due to the love of the pacifier. By the way, children who prefer to “hang” on their mother’s chest all day suffer from malocclusion no less than artificial children. The inability to fully close the jaws leads to the baby grinding his teeth both day and night. A scheduled inspection by a specialist will help identify the problem.

Diseases of the respiratory system are one of the reasons why a child grinds his teeth during the day. Inflammatory processes lead to dryness and irritation of the mucous membranes, the body, trying to activate the work of the salivary glands, causes the muscles in the mouth to contract, the teeth, being a kind of obstacle, rub against each other, causing creaking.

Abrupt weaning of a child from the breast entails a psycho-emotional breakdown. During a difficult period in life, children may develop temporary bruxism. The sucking reflex causes the child to clench his teeth, causing them to grind. After stabilization of the psycho-emotional background, bruxism will recede.

Very often, little rebels show anger or aggression, whether towards peers or adults. For some, protest is accompanied by hysterical screaming, for others - by tightly clenching their teeth.

What is the danger of bruxism, and who treats the disease?

If your baby experiences rare manifestations of bruxism, accompanied by short-term creaking, there is no reason for special concern.

If grinding becomes a habit, there is a risk of damaging the integrity of the tooth enamel. In children it is too weak and easily damaged.

Children who constantly grind their teeth may suffer from headaches and toothaches due to constant tension in the facial and jaw muscles. This can subsequently lead to serious complications.

Your child grinds his teeth during the day, what to do and who to turn to? To identify possible problems, be sure to get examined by:

1. Dentist;
2. Neurologist;
3. Orthodontist;
4. Infectious disease specialist.

You may have to undergo a series of tests to identify or refute any pathology.

How to help a child

After you have been examined by specialists and the reason why your baby grinds his teeth during the day has been established, the doctor will give some recommendations to parents. For childhood bruxism it is recommended:

• For neurological problems, sedatives and sedatives are prescribed, as well as aromatic baths and vitamins;
• If the problem is with your bite, your dentist may recommend wearing mouth guards or guards;
• If teething, give your baby a latex teether. It does not injure the gums and relieves itching;
• Distract your child with toys and conversations. If you hear your baby grinding his teeth, interrupt his habit by offering him a treat;
• Going to bed should be 1 hour earlier than usual. Nervous tension can be relieved by sleep.

Walk more with your child. Reschedule your guests' visit to daytime. The child must rest. Now you know why a child grinds his teeth during the day, and who can help get rid of bruxism.

As practice shows, bruxism is a consequence of a nervous disorder, so you should adjust the baby’s daily routine so as not to subject his body to overload.

In dentistry, there is the concept of “bruxism” - this is a strong clenching of the jaws until a grinding sound occurs. It occurs in both children and adults. According to some reports, about 50% of children sooner or later encounter this problem, forcing parents to worry and look for the cause of the nightly “habit.”

Main reasons

• Mental disorders;
• stress, fears, overexcitation on the eve of sleep;
• helminthic infestation and;
• diseases of the temporomandibular joint;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• skin diseases and allergies associated with itching and irritation;
• hereditary predisposition.

Why is bruxism dangerous?

Teeth grinding is not only a sign of stress or worms in a child, but its appearance increases the risk of tooth damage and the development of diseases of the joint that allows the movement of the lower jaw.

With strong pressure that the teeth exert on each other, enamel cracks may appear, the edges of the crowns may chip or wear away (with long-term bruxism).

In the morning, the child may wake up tired and sleep-deprived, with a headache or toothache caused by prolonged muscle tension and mutual pressure of the jaws.

How and with what to treat?

Of course, before starting treatment, you need to find out the reason for the occurrence of night teeth grinding: take a stool test for enterobiasis, consult a pediatrician, neurologist, allergist (in case of allergies), and a dentist. If a black plaque around the necks of the teeth in the form of a thin ring is detected on a child’s teeth, it may be an additional sign of possible helminthic infestation or problems with the gastrointestinal tract. When contacting a neurologist, they usually prescribe an EEG, check the fundus of the eye, and prescribe a blood test for calcium.

If the child is anxious, sensitive, there are changes in the family associated with the birth of another baby, or he is simply experiencing stress “brought” from kindergarten, it would not be a bad idea to prescribe sedative herbs and follow the recommendations for behavior before bed:

1. last meal no later than 2 hours before bedtime;
2. calm, quiet games in the evening and at night;
3. a warm relaxing bath, to which you can add decoctions or infusions of soothing herbs (motherwort, valerian, string, conifers, chamomile, linden blossom);
4. myogymnastics in the evening (exercises to relieve hypertonicity of the facial and chewing muscles). For example, stretching the tongue forward up and down, circular movements, alternately opening the mouth wide and then stretching the lips with a tube, etc.;
5. Give your child solid foods more often to relieve muscle tension (raw carrots, apples, hard pears, radishes, etc.);
6. You can use distracting ointments based on thyme and eucalyptus (if you are not allergic, rub the collar area and temples before bed).

Means and methods of application

• Brew 3 tablespoons of a mixture of herbs - valerian rhizome, thyme, motherwort in 1 liter of water, leave for 20 minutes, add the strained decoction to the bath before bathing.
• Dissolve 250 g of sea salt in bathing water (if you are not allergic to it), remain in the water for no more than 20–25 minutes.
• Brew for 15 minutes and give the child a decoction of sedative herbs (chamomile, lemon balm, linden blossom, motherwort, hawthorn) to drink before bedtime.
• Ready-made granular tea “Sweet Dreams” from HUMANA or Hipp soothing tea for children from 4 months - give to the child before bedtime.
• Homeopathic remedies - Dormikind (HEEL) for children from 0 to 6 years (the tablet can be dissolved in a teaspoon with water, course 2-4 weeks).
• HOTTA (“Bitner”) sublingual lozenges for teenagers or drops for children from 3 years of age.
• Viburkol suppository (HEEL) before bedtime.
• A neurologist may prescribe Magne B6 and Glycine.
• In spring and autumn, preventive anthelmintic courses are recommended. Decaris can be used once before bedtime at a therapeutic dose of 2.5 mg/kg; it weakens helminths. 3 days after this - a single dose of Vermox (excreted unchanged from the intestines) or Nemozol (the most popular drug for worms all over the world). Pyrantel – if enterobiasis is suspected or confirmed.
• For older children and adolescents, you can additionally use individual mouth guards at night, which are placed on the teeth and prevent jaw clenching (made by a dentist).
• The child needs to be explained that the physiological position of the jaws at rest provides for the presence of a gap between the teeth, when the muscles are relaxed and there is no tension (this is especially true for adolescents, when clenching the jaws becomes a bad habit and occurs not only at night, but also during the day).
• It is important to talk about what consequences may develop further (tooth wear, pain in the joint, muscles, teeth).

Teeth grinding is most often a short-term problem and is associated with temporary reasons. If you do not pay attention to this signal in time, then this habit will remain with the child for a long time. Some parents themselves suffer from bruxism and do not consider it a disease. Moreover, the similarity of the baby and his habits with them is sometimes a reason for pride. There are no trifles in the development of children, and teeth grinding at night should definitely force parents to become more attentive, sensitive to the child, take an interest in his problems or seek help from a specialist. Take care of your health and the health of your children!

Which doctor should I contact?

If your child starts grinding their teeth at night, you should contact your dentist or pediatrician. In the future, it is necessary to consult a neurologist with some studies, in particular electroencephalography. In case of helminthic infestation, a consultation with an infectious disease specialist is prescribed, in case of an allergic reaction - an allergist, in case of diseases of the stomach and intestines - a gastroenterologist.

About what to do if your teeth grind at night, in the program “Live Healthy!”:

About 50% of mothers complain that the child periodically grinds his teeth in his sleep, and are interested in what the causes of this phenomenon are and what treatment the baby will need.

Every mother dreams that her daughter or son gets sick as little as possible and gets enough sleep. Grinding her teeth makes her worry about the well-being of her children.

Bruxism is a medical concept that describes this disorder. It is characterized by a spastic contraction of the masticatory muscles, with a reflex clenching of the jaws and movement of teeth tightly pressed together, which lasts several seconds or minutes.

Grinding occurs when teeth rub. Usually occurs at night, but attacks during the day are not excluded.

If such an action occurs from time to time, then you should not worry, most likely this is a one-time reaction of the child to an emotional and busy day.

But if bruxism occurs systematically, parents should start to worry and look for the cause of this disorder. When teeth grinding occurs every night, the baby may often complain in the morning that his head, facial muscles or teeth hurt.

Causes

Medicine does not have a clear explanation for why a child grinds his teeth. The phenomenon is based on both disorders of the nervous system and disorders of the internal organs. Teeth grinding is a type of sleep disorder such as sleepwalking, urinary incontinence, or snoring.

Some people believe that teeth grinding at night is a sign of worm infection, however, this assumption has no medical basis.

The main causes of the problem:

• nervous tension;
• body disease;
• disorders in the temporomandibular joint;
• teething and bite pathology;
• genetic predisposition.

Why else does a child grind his teeth at night? Let's try to analyze this situation in more detail:

If you notice such symptoms in your baby, surround him with love to give him confidence in his abilities and help him cope with existing fears.

Video: what causes a child to grind his teeth in his sleep? Doctor Komarovsky answers.

Features of children's bruxism

This problem is common and is observed in 50% of children, as we noted above. In the morning, the child may feel a headache, sleepy and tired. Due to the fact that tooth enamel is worn away, hypersensitivity to irritants such as cold drinks, sweet or sour appears.

1. Neuro-emotional disorder is considered the main reason that explains the occurrence of bruxism in children.
2. The appearance of baby teeth is accompanied by itching in the gums and pain, so children often unconsciously move their jaw in their sleep to scratch the disturbing area. Don't worry - this behavior goes away with the eruption of baby teeth. During the period of change of bite, night grinding may be longer. It is important not to lose sight of this condition, because excessive load on newly erupted teeth can change their position, which leads to the formation of malocclusion.
3. Periods of growth spurts are sometimes psychologically difficult for children, which leads to excessive nervous tension.
4. Bruxism in children is easier to treat than the same problem in adults.

A child grinds his teeth in his sleep: treatment of the problem

When a child grinds his teeth a lot, but it lasts no longer than 7 days and occurs periodically, in this case you can help the child without visiting a doctor. Most often this happens due to stressful situations.

The best treatment is to establish a favorable environment in the family:

• do not take it out on the child, even if he has done something wrong, but try to convey your complaints to him in a calm tone;
• pay attention to the baby’s problems;
• surround with love and care;
• read a good book out loud before bed;
• A walk in the fresh air will help you organize your thoughts and saturate your brain with oxygen so you can fall asleep quickly.

If a child grinds his teeth regularly in his sleep, medical help is indispensable; only a doctor can tell you how to wean your child off this problem.

Treatment to help eliminate bruxism:

1. The first doctor you need to see will be the dentist. After examining and identifying the causes, the dentist will make an individual mouthguard to separate the teeth during sleep. This will protect the tooth enamel from damage.
2. If bite pathology is present, he will refer you for orthodontic treatment.
3. If the reason is in the emotional sphere, then the psychotherapist will determine the source of the problems and tell the child and parents what to do to understand the current situation.
4. The therapist will select a vitamin complex in case of vitamin deficiency.
5. If the cause of bruxism is adenoids, the ENT doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment.

There are also folk remedies:

Video: what is bruxism and why does it occur?

Possible consequences

If left untreated, over time this can lead to other problems in the baby’s development:

• frequent strong clenching of teeth leads to tight contact between the upper and lower teeth, and this leads to pathological abrasion and chipping of the enamel;
• incorrect position of the jaws during sleep leads to malocclusion;
• fractures of the tooth crown or the appearance of mobility due to an unnatural load vector;
• pathological formation of the jaw joints and the entire maxillofacial region;
• systematic headache;
• tension and pain in the facial muscles due to the fact that the child grinds his teeth and does this systematically.

Additional questions

A 10-year-old child grinds his teeth in his sleep – what should I do?

Bruxism occurs not only in babies, but also in older children. To identify the causes, contact a dentist and neurologist - doctors of these specialties prescribe a priority examination to identify such disorders.