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What causes children to grind their teeth?

About 30% of children under the age of 10 have a problem with teeth grinding, and there are probably several reasons for this:


1. Too much excitement before bedtime, nighttime teeth grinding is related to the function of the brain dopamine system in an unbalanced state. When the daytime play too excited, or too much emotional tension, anxiety, ideological stress, can make the child rest when the brain is still in a state of excitement, which leads to the occurrence of night grinding teeth.


2. Dinner is too full, or eat a snack before bedtime, the gastrointestinal tract still retains food, the digestive system will continue to work to "eliminate" these foods. At this time, the chewing muscles will also be mobilized to participate in the work, which will lead to the child sleep grinding teeth.


3. Bad sleep posture If the child sleeps on one side for a long time, it will cause the masticatory muscles to be uncoordinated, and the masticatory muscles on the side under pressure will constantly contract abnormally, resulting in teeth grinding. In addition, it is not good for the child to sleep with his head covered, which will lead to elevated carbon dioxide concentration and lack of oxygen, resulting in the child's sleep grinding teeth.

4. Poor dental occlusion, some children due to the teeth of the occlusal relationship is not coordinated, such as malocclusion, missing teeth, missing or too long teeth, long-term unilateral chewing, etc., can be caused by the occlusal disorder of the teeth. In order to make better contact with the teeth, after sleeping at night, the body will subconsciously make chewing spasms and contractions to achieve a state where the teeth bite is as balanced as possible. Therefore, when parents hear that their child is grinding his or her teeth very hard, they should take the child to the dentist for a checkup.


5. Rickets, the child's vitamin D insufficiency, affecting the absorption of calcium. And a child's lack of calcium can make the child irritable and restless at night, thus making it easy to grind teeth while sleeping.


6. Intestinal parasites such as roundworms and pinworms. Roundworm parasites in the child's small intestine, plundering nutritious food, stimulate the intestinal wall secretion of toxic substances, making the child's stomach pain, affecting sleep, resulting in the child's sleep grinding teeth. In addition, pinworm parasites in the child's large intestine, the child sleep, pinworms will quietly crawl to the anal opening to lay eggs, causing anal itching, so that the child sleep uneasily, teeth grinding.

bruxismIt refers to the involuntary contraction of the masticatory muscles in the non-physiologic state of a person, so that the upper and lower jaws produce grinding or clenching action, is a kind of oral parafunctional movement. Its pathogenesis is not completely clear, and there is no recognized specific treatment that can completely stop teeth grinding due to the complexity of the etiology.

There is no cure for teething disorder, but parents can find out the cause of the problem and perhaps help their baby find a good way to correct it.

1. Sleep condition

Many small children are accustomed to sleep prone, this sleeping position is rare among adults, and small children sleep in this way, parents may also think it is very cute. Prone sleeping position is the body lying down and face turned to the side, that is, the head rotated to the side of 90 degrees. The picture below shows this sleeping position.

It looks cute, but this sleeping position keeps the jaw under external pressure and causes high tension in the muscles of the jaw, head and neck, causing them to show unconscious muscle tremors, which can lead to teeth grinding.

Overseas studies have analyzed that if small children are sleep deprived, snoring, sleep disturbance, drooling and open mouth breathing, it may lead to teeth grinding. If a child has teeth grinding phenomenon, you can first check if it is a sleep problem. After the child falls asleep, you can help him adjust the following, do not let him continue to use a sleeping position, to see if the grinding of teeth will be improved.

Small children who roll over or change their sleeping position from time to time during sleep sometimes produce transient nighttime teeth grinding, and if it doesn't persist, there's no need to be overly concerned.

2. Parasitic diseases or certain nutrient deficiencies

If you have roundworms in your stomach, they can irritate the nerves in the stomach and intestines and may cause bruxism. Children who are deficient in zinc, vitamin B or vitamin D may also cause bruxism. This needs to be diagnosed by a medical professional and relative treatment measures should be taken according to the doctor's instruction. Teeth grinding caused by this condition can be greatly relieved or even disappear completely after treatment.

3、Tooth and jaw influence

When a small child is in the period of tooth and jaw replacement, with the loss of milk teeth and the eruption of permanent teeth, the occlusal relationship may not be very stable, and temporary bite disorders, misalignment of jaws, missing teeth, missing or overgrown individual teeth, and unilateral chewing may also be correlated with bruxism. If this condition exists in a young child who grinds his or her teeth, seek the help of a dentist to see if the bruxism gets better.

4. Neurological and psychological factors

Psychological factors may rarely be considered for small children, and parents usually feel that small children will not be under any psychological stress, although it was found early on that psychological factors are also a factor in the development of nocturnal teeth grinding disorder. Small children who are under stress or mental pressure may develop the habit of grinding their teeth.

If you watch a thrilling movie or TV show before going to bed, or if the surrounding environment puts your child's nerves in a state of overstimulation and fear, so that he or she cannot fall asleep peacefully, you may grind your teeth after you fall asleep.

Therefore, the environment in which a small child grows up is also an issue that parents need to pay attention to. Helping him to develop good sleeping and living habits is likely to improve the condition of teeth grinding.

5. Genetic factors

Various surveys and studies have found that the incidence of bruxism in young children is significantly higher if their parents and relatives have bruxism, so bruxism runs in families.

Finally, it should be added that some bad oral habits of small children, such as a fondness for chewing toys and quilt corners, hyperactivity in small children, as well as abnormal blood glucose and calcium concentrations, and many other factors, can be triggers of teething disorders.

If you feel it is necessary, you can use bite pads to relieve the symptoms while at the same time protecting your teeth. For unexplained persistent teeth grinding, some small doses of tranquilizers can be considered under doctor's supervision to improve the grinding. Some preschoolers grow out of teeth grinding, so don't worry too much if the symptoms are not obvious.

Most parents will find that their children will be grinding their teeth when they sleep, some parents do not pay attention to the phenomenon, that is just grinding teeth, it does not matter, while some parents think that the symptom is a manifestation of the disease, but for the grinding phenomenon occurs for the reason is also confused, do not know where to start. What is the cause of teeth grinding in children?

First of all, we have to understand that the phenomenon of teeth grinding in children is not a normal performance, the occurrence of this phenomenon is mainly caused by the following aspects.1. Digestive system. Children's diet do not know self-control, and growth and development is not yet complete, so there are more food accumulation performance, or go to bed before eating too much food, will stimulate the child's stomach and intestines, causing the movement of chewing muscles, teeth grinding; 2. mental state factors. Research has found that children's anxiety, sadness, pessimism, stress, anger, nervousness or over-excitement and other mental states, will affect the cerebral cortex of excitation and inhibition, the balance is out of balance, triggering the chewing muscle irregular movement; 3. The impact of the sleep position. A study in China found that children in prone position, the lower jaw by the head pressure, in order to relieve the pressure will also appear teeth grinding phenomenon;

4. The effect of dental development. The irregular development and misalignment of teeth may cause temporomandibular joint dysfunction, resulting in teeth grinding; 5. The influence of intestinal parasites. For this cause, there is no clear conclusion, we all have our own opinions, according to my experience, if the child has a combination of abdominal pain, poor food, or even white spots on the face, blue spots in the eyes and other symptoms, can be given to the worming treatment; 6. Other causes: a study in Portugal shows that the symptoms and genetic also have a certain relationship; in addition, nutritional imbalance also has an impact on the phenomenon.

Respondent: Cao Xin M.S.

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Occasional grinding of teeth in children is a normal physiological phenomenon, but if it is more than 3 months old, and more than 3-4 days per week, it often suggests a pathological factor, and it is necessary to find the cause of the disease in time. What are the usual causes of teeth grinding in children?

Pathologic etiology in children

1, the main reason is the child's own teeth problems, such as chronic gingivitis, periodontitis, dental caries, bite misalignment and so on.

2, chronic tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, adenoid hypertrophy children prone to teeth grinding.

3, eat a snack before going to bed habit, gastrointestinal function overworked, the nerve reflex drives the oral mastication work.

4, school-age children's academic pressure, family tension husband and wife relationship, can also cause the mental aspects of grinding teeth.

5, intestinal parasitic infection will show grinding teeth, but grinding teeth is not all caused by parasitic infection. You can try deworming treatment if you have teeth grinding problem, but you can't take it indiscriminately for a long time.

6, of course, there are genetic factors involved, there is a family history of teeth grinding, often children prone to teeth grinding problems.

What to do if you have a child who grinds his teeth

1, regular life, do not eat before going to bed, do not exercise vigorously, do not drink functional drinks coffee.

2. Find a dentist, otolaryngologist to rule out oral and sinus diseases, and correct any problems promptly.

3. Deworming treatment can be tried depending on the child's behavior.

4. Changing the mentality of children and regulating the relationship between family members.

5, severe grinding factor companion even cause severe wear and tear of the teeth, you can wear protective dental pads.

Teeth grinding in children requires a prompt search for the cause and then aggressive management to change the chronic grinding that leads to chewing muscle strain, tooth wear and daytime mental fogginess problems in your child. (Images from the Internet, such as infringement will be deleted, please contact me)

Dr. Ke is a pediatrician with extensive clinical experience, specializing in children's digestive and respiratory disorders, chronic cough, Helicobacter pylori infection, chronic gastritis, functional constipation, liver function abnormalities, chronic diarrhea, milk protein allergy, and other difficult problems and nutritional development of infants and young children, as well as feeding counseling. For more information about pediatrics, please visit Dr. Ke Youjian online.

With health as a companion, with the doctor as a friend, welcome to forward the praise, comment attention, praise and share is a virtue. Questions can be left, Dr. Ke in the break time will be on the typical questions targeted answer.

When it comes to the matter of children grinding their teeth in their sleep, the first reaction of many parents is to think that their children lack calcium, in fact, theThere are a variety of reasons why children grind their teeth in their sleep, and parents should treat them differently and not start taking calcium supplements as soon as they realize that their child is grinding his or her teeth!

What's wrong with babies who tend to grind their teeth in their sleep at night?

One, the child eats too much at night

When your child eats too much at night, it is difficult to finish digesting the food in the stomach while awake, and when your child falls asleep, the digestive system will continue to work to digest this food. At this time, the chewing muscles will also be mobilized to participate in the work together, which leads to the child sleep grinding teeth.

Solution:Parents should not let their children eat too much and too full at dinner time, and try not to let them eat again 1 to 2 hours before bedtime, and eat a reasonable and healthy diet.

Two. Parasites in the body.

Parasites such as roundworms or pinworms in the child's stomach secrete a toxin that stimulates the brain and causes spasms in the chewing muscles, hence the grinding of teeth.

However, with cleaner living environments and parents paying close attention to their children's personal hygiene, the chances of teeth grinding caused by parasites are still relatively small.

Solution:Parents can observe their child's anus with a flashlight after the child is asleep or when they wake up early in the morning; the presence of small worms means that the child has parasites in his or her stomach and needs to be wormed. You can also go to the hospital for a stool test.

Third, the child's oral problems

When a child has problems such as chipped teeth, misaligned teeth, and malocclusion, it can cause a bite disorder of the teeth. By the time the child sleeps at night, this occlusal disorder will cause the child to keep making chewing movements in order to bring the teeth bite into balance, which is a subconscious reaction of the organism.

Solution:If your child grinds his or her teeth frequently at night for unknown reasons, parents can take your child to the dentist to see if orthodontics is needed or if dental pads are needed to reduce teeth grinding.

Four, the child's brain nerves are in a state of tension, excitement or too much stress

If your child occasionally grinds his or her teeth at night, parents can think back to whether your child has been playing too excitedly during the day or if he or she is still playing stimulating games before bedtime, or if he or she has been under too much pressure from school lately, which can all contribute to teeth grinding.

Solution:Eliminate the source of your child's nervous excitement, don't play stimulating games or watch scary TV before bedtime, tell your child bedtime stories and other things that will help your child rest.

If your child has been under too much pressure to study lately, parents should give proper decompression. A combination of work and rest will make it easier for your child.

V. Calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency in children can cause irritability and restlessness at night, which makes them prone to grinding their teeth during sleep.

Solution:For these children, parents can take them out for more outdoor activities, get more sunshine, eat a reasonable diet, and take calcium supplements under the guidance of a doctor if necessary.

In summary.Children sleep at night grinding teeth for many reasons, parents should be based on their own children grinding teeth specific analysis, do not arbitrarily messy calcium supplements, really not clear can find a pediatrician to confirm, and then make further treatment!

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How can children always grind their teeth in bed at night? Chinese medicine believes that: this grinding teeth, also known as the teeth, also known as clenching teeth, etc., most of the heat. Children sleep in the upper and lower teeth grinding cut cut sound, most of the stomach on the hot fire, also known as stomach fire, how to do it? Rehmannia glutinosa fresh or dried in water to drink.

Occasionally grinding teeth is not a big problem, do not worry, if the teeth have been grinding, and more serious kind, observe the child during the day whether there are abnormalities, such as restlessness, crying and so on, may be the body some small discomfort! If the body is not comfortable, slowly there will be symptoms, when the symptomatic treatment is good.

Usually pay attention to the child during the day to drink water, pay attention to the diet light and nutritious, do not catch cold and heat, pay attention to the child's emotional stability, slowly on the good, generally not a big problem.

Many parents find their children grinding their teeth at night and always worry that there may be roundworms inside their child's tummy. The truth is that the trigger for teeth grinding is unknown, but there are many hypothesized causes, including mental stress, bad bites, and ear infections. In fact 90% of people will experience teeth grinding throughout their lives. Teeth grinding occurs in about 50% of children at an average age of 10.5 months, and most of it subsides naturally as they grow up around the age of 6. There are some children who experience transient teeth grinding during the process of replacing milk teeth with permanent teeth.

If, in addition to teeth grinding, your child reports headaches, earaches, jaw pain, or feels pain when chewing food, you need to seek medical attention. If the grinding is severe, it may lead to problems with the teeth and gums and require dental care.


Parents should take their children to the dentist regularly during the day, and can try reading stories and listening to soft music before bed to help them relax.

See a pediatrician as soon as possible.

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When I was a child, I used to listen to adults chatting together and say, 'If a child grinds his teeth in his sleep, it's because he has roundworms in his stomach." At that time, I didn't quite believe what the adults said, thinking that roundworms were invisible in people's tummies, so how could those people know that a roundworm in the tummy would make them grind their teeth?

When I was 12 years old and in junior high school, something happened to one of my classmates that made me believe that the saying, "If you have roundworms in your stomach, you will grind your teeth," was true.

I remember inviting a few of my classmates over to my house when I was in junior high school for the weekend. It was '76, and the average family was so strained that they didn't even have enough to eat. However, those who had a job at home were better off. In order to entertain my classmates, my mom took some money from my dad's salary, bought some pork, and made a lot of vegetables in the garden, and cooked a delicious meal for us. Unexpectedly, one of my female classmates slept in the middle of the night, suddenly "wow" sound to wake up a few girls. We asked her what was wrong, she said she just felt like there was some kind of bug crawling inside her throat, she naturally used her hand to pull it out, but she didn't realize that she was dry heaving and threw up the food. We got up and turned on the light to see that a pile of rice scraps had been thrown up under the bed, and there was an intestinal worm still moving in the rice scraps, which scared me so much that I called my mom and dad. Dad came over to take a look and said, 'This student of yours threw up all the roundworms, which means there are still many worms in her stomach. You guys go to sleep first, I'll clean it up."

In the morning, when we were having dinner, my father asked my classmate, 'Usually, do you set your teeth when you sleep at night?" I snatched the words and said, 'She often sleeps and thwarts her teeth, sometimes waking up her classmates in the dormitory." Dad got the Pagoda candies that were given to several of our sisters to fight worms and let her eat them, only to have all the worms come out when she went back to school to use the restroom. From then on, her stomach didn't hurt and she never set her teeth in her sleep at night.

Her parents heard about it later and asked me to say "thank you" to my mom and dad on their behalf! ″

After this incident, I believe that the saying, "If a person sleeps at night with his teeth in his mouth, it means that there are roundworms in his belly," is true. This saying is true.

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