A child grinds his teeth: reasons and what to do
A baby's sweet sleep is a mother's great joy. But if a child regularly grinds his teeth in his sleep, then there really is a reason to be alarmed. Contrary to the belief that creaking is caused by helminths, the reasons for this unpleasant process are completely different. In medicine, teeth grinding is called bruxism. If the causes that cause it are not eliminated, you can get negative consequences: damage to tooth enamel, loosening of teeth, pain in the gums, neck or head.
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Why does a child grind his teeth in his sleep?
Bruxism most often occurs during the baby's sleep at night. The reasons for its appearance are different, they are both medical and psychological in nature. The main ones:
- Strong emotional experiences and stress. The child's psyche is very vulnerable. The baby may worry about a broken toy or a conflict situation with other children. Excessive positive emotions can also contribute to strong arousal. Psychologists recommend not to overload the baby’s psyche with active games and cartoons before bedtime. It is not recommended to punish your baby before bedtime.
- Enlarged adenoids can also cause teeth grinding. Enlarged adenoids make breathing difficult and cause discomfort. This disease is often inherited, especially through the male line.
- Mental sleep disorders Along with teeth grinding, they can cause somnambulism and sleep talking. If your baby wakes up frequently, he may have a mental illness.
- Irregular structure of the jaws, teething, causing itching. The child experiences discomfort, clenches his gums, and his teeth rub against each other. Special teethers or pain-relieving gels will help babies.
- Pathological changes in the maxillofacial area, incorrect bite or structure of the jaw apparatus. An accurate diagnosis can be made by an orthodontist.
If the baby rarely experiences an unpleasant squeak and lasts 5-18 seconds, then you can ignore the squeak. If the process is longer and more frequent, specialist examination is necessary.
The child grinds his teeth during the day
A baby can grind their teeth not only during sleep, but also during the day. If the baby has a cold and finds it difficult to breathe, he opens his mouth. The mucous membrane dries out and the baby experiences discomfort and may begin to clench his teeth. The child finds the sound made at the same time amusing and will want to repeat it out of pampering. When teething, he rubs his gums together to relieve the itching.
Daytime bruxism can also be psychosomatic in nature. If you observe a creaking sound after you have punished or yelled at your child, then the reason is emotional experiences. If a child squeaks when listening to music, reading books, or watching movies, then you should choose calmer works.
A child grinds his teeth - what to do?
To reduce the frequency of bruxism, it is recommended to carry out prevention:
- Talk to your child about his relationships with other children in kindergarten or school, ask about any controversial situations. Check with the teacher or teacher about the child’s behavior, and if problems arise, try to solve them. This way you will eliminate the influence of stress on the baby’s emotional state.
- Organize the correct daily routine. Night sleep should last 8-10 hours, the optimal time for going to bed is 21 hours. Don't play noisy games or watch TV before bed. It’s better to listen to slow music, read a book with your baby, he will calm down and sleep soundly.
- Do not overload your child with physical or developmental activities. Chronic fatigue can cause bruxism. In this case, doctors recommend increasing the amount of sleep and reducing stress.
- Build a trusting relationship with your child so that he tells you about all his sorrows.
- Provide a balanced diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables and other solid foods. The chewing muscles will be actively trained during the day and relaxed at night. As a result, they will be strengthened.
- The last meal should be at least 2 hours before bedtime. The active work of the digestive system provokes gum movement during sleep.
- While bathing a child in water add infusions of soothing herbs, for example, lemon balm, motherwort. They help relax the entire body, including the facial muscles.
If the above measures do not help get rid of bruxism, then be sure to consult a doctor.
A child grinds his teeth - treatment
The cause of the disease can be identified by undergoing a comprehensive examination by a neurologist, pediatrician, or dentist. Sometimes, with complex sleep disorders, a consultation with a somnologist is required.
If the cause of the disease is problems with teeth or gums, the doctor will prescribe the use of an anesthetic gel for the gums, which will relieve pain or itching. To protect tooth enamel, specialized linings – mouthguards – are used.
They protect dentin from damage when teeth rub against each other. The pads also relieve muscle tension and hypertonicity. You can wear them all the time or only at night. If the cause of discomfort is inflammation of the gums, then rinses with anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal decoctions are prescribed.
If the causes of bruxism are mental in nature, then the doctor prescribes sedatives: children's tenoten, glycine, drugs containing magnesium. The neurologist prescribes aromatherapy, salt baths, relaxing massage and exercise.
Timely comprehensive treatment of bruxism will eliminate the problem in 3-4 months. If the cause of the disease is malocclusion or abnormal development of the jaw apparatus, longer treatment may be required.
