The child grinds his teeth in a dream - the causes of the phenomenon and ways to eliminate it

Tooth gnashing, referred to in a professional environment as bruxism, rarely leaves parents indifferent, and this is correct. This phenomenon in most cases, experts consider as a pathology, requiring timely correction.

What is bruxism in children and what is its danger

Bruxism is a dense bite of the teeth during sleep and accompanying process characteristic grinding. Such phenomena are rarely prolonged, they are usually limited to a maximum of 10 seconds and appear as soon after falling asleep, so with a deep night dream. According to statistics, 1-3% of children of different ages diagnose pathology.

At once it is necessary to note, that it is impossible to miss attacks arising at night in any case, hoping for self-elimination of an illness. As a result, even a short friction of the teeth of the child against each other, their attrition occurs, microcracks begin to form. Negative changes are also observed in the general state due to overstrain of the dorsal and cervical muscles. Often the child complains of headaches and toothaches. In the absence of treatment at an early stage, pathology begins to develop in severe form, a dangerous development of tooth decay, pulpitis and periodontitis.

Why does this happen?

Quite often, having heard that a child is strongly creaking his teeth at night, parents find the only cause of the disease in the form of helminthic invasion and, without consulting a specialist, buy drugs that destroy helminths. But after the course of treatment, the situation does not change for the better.

The fact is that such a conclusion is often a misconception. To confirm their fears, before buying expensive drugs, you need to pass the appropriate tests, since uncontrolled intake of anthelmintic agents is dangerous for poisoning the entire body. Experts say the following probable causes of nocturnal gnashing of teeth in children.

What are the other reasons for grinding teeth in a dream day and night?

Nervous System Disorder

Because of the excessive fragility of the child's psyche, a child is often seriously distressed because of situations that seem insignificant to adults. It can be trouble in the kindergarten, change of place of residence, the appearance in the family of another baby or the beginning of the educational process in the school. Pathology provokes not only negative, but also too exciting the child's positive emotions. Therefore, it is important not to overburden the growing man with emotions, dosing out impressions.

Emotional instability can also lead to sleep disorders, which in turn provoke tooth rasp. Neurologists tend to consider such a violation in one parallel with somnambulism and nightmares. In the presence of alarming symptoms, you need to immediately show the baby to a neurologist, who will help to correct the situation.

Infringement of an occlusion and other pathologies of the maxillofacial device

Only the children's orthodontist can diagnose congenital anomalies of the jaw structure. It is important to begin the correction of bite anomalies at an early stage in a child in 3 years, otherwise the irreversible process of destruction of dentin can start, the inflammation of periodontal tissue may develop. Another complication is improper growth of the teeth.

Hyperplasia of adenoids

Often pathology is associated with active growth of adenoids, therefore, with obvious obstruction of the baby's nose and shortness of breath, one should consult with ENT.

Teething Teeth

Even a child of 1 year sometimes scares parents with a night tooth rasp. The cause is creating discomfort erupting teeth, resulting in itching of the gums, which the kid is trying to eliminate, reflexively, squeezing the gums and scratching them against each other.

Hereditary factor

Often such a phenomenon is observed in children whose parents in childhood suffered from such a violation. In most cases, the pathology is manifested in boys.

The reasons for the grinding of teeth in a child in a dream will be revealed by a pediatrician.

What are the treatment options?

The elimination of the problem in most cases is quite successful if the parents use an integrated approach, take into account the recommendations of specialists, not missing a single point of therapy. To begin treatment it is necessary from visit to the stomatologist or the children's neurologist who will give an estimation of a condition of the child.

Therapy at the dentist and neurologist

At the consultation with the pediatric neurologist, the doctor will help to determine the cause of the nocturnal grinding of teeth and will choose the correct tactics of communicating with the baby to eliminate the negative factor. Participation of the dentist is necessary for choosing measures to prevent early abrasion of enamel.

Usually it is proposed to purchase a special kapa for the baby, which helps to relieve muscle tension and relieve the pain that often accompanies this pathology. On the recommendation of the doctor, the cap may be dressed for the day or night period. Such a corrective device is also necessary to prevent tooth erosion, normalization of the state of chewing muscles.

General recommendations of

Along with professional orthodontic and neurological treatment it is desirable to do daily with the child special exercises, starting with the simplest - periodic contraction during the waking period of the lips with the teeth unclenched.

Another effective exercise to reduce convulsive activity is the use of chewing sweets. A child of preschool age can explain how to properly relax the muscles of the jaw to prevent reflex compression of the teeth in the night.

A good exercise in the maxillofacial device is the regular intake by a child of of solid fruits and vegetables ( cabbage, carrots, apples).Constant loading of chewing muscles during the day will ensure the achievement of a positive result in the form of a decrease in night activity and elimination of gnashing. For maximum effect, sugar and foods are temporarily excluded from the child's diet, in which animal fats and dyes are present in large quantities. It is unacceptable to use fast food.

Vitamin and mineral complexes, among which magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins are present, help to consolidate the result. As studies show, the shortage of these components becomes a provoking factor for the increased convulsive activity of the masticatory muscles during the child's sleep in 2 years.

Important point - the correct preparation for bed .Classes before going to bed directly affect the psychological state of the child at night. Therefore, in the presence of such a problem as bruxism, it is recommended to exclude too emotional and active games several hours before sleep, replacing them with a tuning for relaxation by reading books, collecting pictures from puzzles.

One hour before going to bed, they stop eating food and drinks, allowing the baby only ordinary water, so you need to provide the child with a quality dinner at the proper time so that he does not feel hungry. This limitation is associated with the possibility of overstrain of the jaw muscles due to the active work of the digestive system.

Another mandatory condition - compliance with the correct mode of the day .Strongly tired for a day baby, which, moreover, late to go to bed, is more at risk of developing pathology. If negative changes are noted, you can move the laying time one hour earlier, analyzing the child's condition at night. In the absence of grinding it is worth making the appropriate conclusions and adjusting the mode of the baby's day.

Communicate more with the child .It is important to ensure close emotional contact with the child to get a clear picture of the disturbing moments. If the baby can not convey his feelings in the conversation, you need to show him maximum attention, showing only kindness and affection. Perhaps additional care will help him overcome the inner barrier, and the condition will gradually improve.

Prevention

According to experts, bruxism is easier to prevent than cure. Therefore, it is important to remember the effective prevention methods and constantly apply them in practice:

1. The number of stressful situations in a child's daily life should be minimized so that the child feels stability;
2. Active physical actions are excluded before going to bed. The optimal option for hanging out is listening to light music, reading your favorite books, taking a relaxing warm bath that will positively affect the state of the nervous system and the body as a whole;
3. It is important to remember the proper nutrition. Children should be restricted to eating carbohydrate-rich foods;
4. If there are anxiety symptoms, the relaxation of the jaw with a warm compress helps to prevent negative phenomena. Also, you can try giving a child a hard vegetable or fruit before going to bed, focusing on the taste preferences of the baby.

Observing such simple recommendations, it is possible to protect the child from the development of a dangerous pathology, which can lead to irreversible consequences and the development of even permanent teeth. It is important to respond to the slightest alarming symptoms, showing maximum patience and care.