Why do children always grind their teeth when they sleep at night? Is it because of worms in their stomach or is it due to calcium or zinc deficiency?

Recently, there are always parents asking in the outpatient clinic what to do if their children grind their teeth while sleeping. Let us learn about it together.

Why do children always grind their teeth when they sleep at night? Is it because of worms in their stomach or is it due to calcium or zinc deficiency?

In fact, it is very common for children to grind their teeth at night. According to statistics, 14% to 17% of children have nocturnal grinding of their teeth, ranging from 1 to 4 times a week. People usually blame intestinal parasites for nocturnal grinding of teeth. In fact, there are many reasons for children to grind their teeth at night.

1. Psychological factors: Some experts believe that nocturnal bruxism is a way for children to release their anger, resentment, and tension that they cannot express during the day. This behavior may lead to dental occlusion disorders and cause bruxism during sleep.

2. Overeating at dinner: Eating too much before going to bed can also cause nocturnal grinding of teeth.

3. Sometimes, sleeping with the blanket on for too long at night can cause nighttime bruxism due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide and insufficient oxygen supply in the brain tissue.

4. Family disharmony, parents’ divorce, too much homework, or poor academic performance, being scolded by parents, as well as psychological frustration, usual mental stress, anxiety, physical and mental fatigue, etc., can also cause nocturnal grinding of teeth.

5. Physiological factors: Children with vitamin D deficiency rickets often experience excessive sweating, night terrors, irritability, etc., which may also cause nocturnal grinding of teeth.

6. Another type of teeth grinding is mostly caused by roundworm or pinworm infection. Roundworms not only rob the body of nutrients, but also irritate the intestinal wall, secrete toxins, cause indigestion, dull pain around the navel and abdomen, as well as insomnia, irritability and teeth grinding.

7. Misaligned teeth, poor tooth occlusion, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction can also cause nocturnal bruxism.

8. Some scholars have also found that children's nighttime teeth grinding is closely related to their sleeping posture. Children who love to grind their teeth mostly sleep in a prone position at night, that is, they "sleep on their stomach" with their heads and faces pressed against the pillow, and it is difficult to change this habit. Why does prone sleeping position cause teeth grinding? Because when lying prone, the face is pressed against the pillow, and the nostrils and mouth are inevitably partially blocked, which hinders breathing. In addition, the chest is pressed against the bed surface, which will hinder the expansion of the chest cavity, and will inevitably affect its lung capacity, causing hypoxia and carbon dioxide retention in the body. Brain tissue is particularly sensitive to hypoxia, which will inevitably affect the function of the cerebral cortex and subcortical centers, produce focal excitation foci, lead to paroxysmal masseter spasms, contraction of the muscles and ligaments of the temporomandibular joint, and the phenomenon of teeth grinding during sleep.

To deal with children who grind their teeth at night, parents should first find out the cause and take appropriate treatment measures with the help of a doctor. If it is caused by mental factors, adjustments and psychological counseling should be made to relieve mental stress. If it is caused by malocclusion of the upper and lower teeth or periodontal disease, a dentist should be consulted for correction in time. If teeth grinding is caused by vitamin D deficiency or insufficient calcium intake, it needs to be supplemented under the guidance of a nutritionist. If it is caused by bad eating habits or sleeping posture, correct it in time.

Sufficient and high-quality sleep is a prerequisite for health and the key to growth. Let us pay attention to sleep health together.