Six-year-old boy grinds his teeth while sleeping at night

We all know that when a child reaches the age of six, he or she will start to go to school. Some parents send their children to school. At the age of six, children who develop early have already started to replace their teeth, that is, to replace their milk teeth. In the process of replacing teeth, they are likely to get some oral diseases and often grind their teeth when they sleep at night. So why does a six-year-old boy grind his or her teeth when he or she sleeps 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:

1. 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.

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.

So, how can we prevent and treat it?

1. 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.

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

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

4. If the teeth are unevenly aligned or the bite is disordered, correction is required.

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.

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