Why does my baby grind his teeth while sleeping?

In our lives, many people have problems with teeth grinding when they sleep, but many people do not seek treatment for teeth grinding. However, many parents find that their babies also grind their teeth. At this time, parents are very confused because the baby’s teeth are still in the growth stage, and they don’t know what harm teeth grinding will cause to the baby. So why does the baby grind his teeth while sleeping?

Common reasons include:

Digestive disorders

If children eat too much before going to bed, it will increase the burden on the digestive system and cause them to grind their teeth while sleeping. Infants whose digestive functions are not fully developed should pay more attention to the amount they intake.

Intestinal parasites

Children suffer from ascariasis, and the intestinal wall is constantly stimulated by the disturbance of ascaris, which causes reflex contraction of the chewing muscles and leads to bruxism. The solution is to deworm your children every autumn. Children under two years of age should not be treated for deworming.

Unbalanced nutrition

If children are too picky about food, it will lead to a lack of vitamins and trace elements, causing involuntary contraction of the facial chewing muscles at night, which will cause bruxism. Therefore, parents are helping their children develop good eating habits so that they are not picky eaters and can fully absorb a variety of nutrients. If necessary, take your child to the hospital for trace element testing and supplement the corresponding nutrients based on the test. If there are no conditions, you might as well let your child take 21 Gold Vita for two weeks, which may work.

Mental stress

Being scolded by parents or teachers during the day, or being too excited before going to bed, the part of the brain that manages the chewing muscles becomes excited, causing you to continue chewing after falling asleep. Therefore, parents should try not to put pressure on their children and create a comfortable family environment for them. Before your child goes to bed, avoid over-excitement and don't watch overly intense or scary TV. When teeth grinding is severe, you can also let your child take an appropriate amount of tranquilizers before going to bed, such as Diazepam and Lumina, or you can choose Chinese patent medicines that calm the nerves.

Poor tooth development

During the period of child's tooth replacement, if some teeth are missing due to malnutrition, the occlusal surface will be uneven when the upper and lower teeth come into contact, which is also the cause of bruxism. At this time, you should ask a dentist to check whether there is any malocclusion of the teeth. If so, the high points of the teeth need to be ground down and a dental pad should be prepared. Wearing it at night can reduce teeth grinding. At the same time, appropriate drug treatment should be carried out for malnutrition and rickets.

The friction of teeth during nighttime bruxism is very different from that during daytime chewing. When chewing food, the teeth are constantly lubricated by food, water, and saliva during the friction process, mainly chewing food into pieces, and the teeth are less worn. Nocturnal bruxism usually occurs after a deep sleep due to the action of nerve reflex. At this time, there is no food in the mouth and the amount of saliva secreted is very small. The teeth cannot be lubricated and can only grind up and down against each other, causing severe wear of the teeth and affecting their health.

How to prevent and treat

1. If intestinal parasites are found, deworming should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.

2. If the teeth are unevenly arranged or the bite is disordered, correction is required.

3. Pay attention to adjusting your diet, eat some easily digestible and nutritious food, and don’t eat too much for dinner.

4. For children with nocturnal bruxism, parents should make sure they relax mentally, especially 1-2 hours before going to bed, and avoid doing any strenuous activities.

5. If nocturnal bruxism cannot be corrected, you can go to the oral department of the hospital to make a "plastic tooth pad" called a bruxism appliance. Wear it between the upper and lower teeth when sleeping at night to prevent nighttime teeth grinding and protect teeth.

In fact, teeth grinding will have a certain impact on the baby's physical health. It will cause excessive fatigue on the baby's face. Long-term teeth grinding will cause the chewing muscles to contract continuously. At this time, the baby's face shape will change, affecting the appearance. Therefore, when the baby has teeth grinding, you must go to the hospital for examination in time and take appropriate measures.