Why do children grind their teeth at night?

Many children have some bad living habits, and sometimes they are restless when sleeping. For example, children may grind their teeth at night. At this time, parents will be very worried that their children’s teeth grinding at night will affect their sleep quality and physical development. So what is the reason why children grind their teeth at night? Now I will tell you why children grind their teeth at night.

Some children often grind their teeth when they fall asleep at night. Medically known as bruxism. Nocturnal bruxism occurs when you are asleep and you are not aware of it, so you cannot control it. Nocturnal bruxism is an abnormal function of the oral cavity, and the cause of its occurrence is not yet fully understood. It is generally believed to be related to the following factors:

one,

There are parasites in the intestines, especially roundworms, which survive by absorbing nutrients from the human body. It moves in the human stomach, and in addition to causing stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases intestinal obstruction, it sometimes causes people to grind their teeth at night.

2. Being too tired or too excited during the day, especially when children are too tired from playing. The cerebral cortex does not get a complete rest after falling asleep, and some nerves are still in an excited state, which can cause teeth grinding after falling asleep.

3. Indigestion. The stomach’s digestive function cannot effectively digest food due to certain reasons such as stomach disease, resulting in teeth grinding after sleeping.

4. Disordered occlusion of teeth, etc.

5. Children may also suffer from bruxism when they are calcium deficient. It is recommended to test trace elements for a confirmed diagnosis.

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.

Nighttime bruxism can cause wear on the incisal edges of the front teeth, shortening the teeth and affecting their appearance; the occlusal surfaces of the back teeth are ground into flat plates, reducing the chewing function of the teeth, causing fatigue, soreness and discomfort to the chewing muscles, and even causing damage to the periodontal tissues and temporomandibular joints. The teeth themselves also suffer from the wear of the enamel, exposing the dentin, causing allergies and pain, and in severe cases, pulpitis.

Now that everyone knows what is going on when children grind their teeth at night, you will know how to treat it. Because if children grind their teeth at night, you should pay attention to it, as it will have some harmful effects on the body and may also affect the healthy development of the teeth.