Increased use of social media is putting pressure on children to grow more quickly. Social media presence comes with disturbing cases of bullying making children begin grinding their teeth. If your child has not been grinding his or her teeth, it might be a sign of bullying from social media or at school. Children who are bullied are more likely to grind their teeth while sleeping. Read on to understand the various causes of teeth grinding including bullying.
According to research, children who suffer from bullying have higher chances of sleep bruxism and clenching. Bruxism is a nocturnal sleep disorder with regular teeth grinding and clenching leading to substantial health problems. The jaw can exert great pressure over time wearing down teeth or making them chipped and cracked.
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Dangers of bruxism
Suffering from bruxism might come with pain. This might spread to the face, neck, and shoulders. It is common for children to suffer from migraines when having bruxism. Delay to take your child for appropriate treatment might cause significant damage to teeth and jaws. The link between bullying and bruxism seems strange. However, bruxism comes with stress, which might result from bullying your child.
Other reasons for bruxism apart from bullying
Your child might be grinding his or her teeth because of other factors apart from bullying. Bruxism is common amongst especially those under 11 years. Always ensure to take your child to a family dental in Prince George when you notice him or her having severe toothache. Getting appropriate treatment will ensure that your child’s teeth is saved and to enhance their sleeping experience.
Bruxism is usually outside of normal activity. Keep in mind that children are more susceptible to frequently subconscious habits. Some of these might include biting nails, cheek biting, and sucking on the thumb. When you notice your child developing such behavior, ensure to help them stop or to modify the behavior. However, bruxism requires professional treatment since the child usually does it while sleeping.
Bruxism risk factors in children
A normal child might develop bruxism as early as one year after getting their front teeth. Teeth grinding at this stage results from immature muscles controlling chewing. There’s a likelihood of bruxism when sleep changes from deep REM to non-REM sleep. About 80 percent of bruxism usually happens during non-REM sleep with 5 to 10 percent occurring during deep sleep.
Bruxism in children is more frequent for those who snore or breathe through the mouth. It is no wonder that there might be a connection between bruxism and sleep apnea. This happens when the airway blocked because the tongue and throat back muscles are relaxing. The tongue falls back to block the airway. Sleep apnea can make the child stay awake many times during the night inhibiting restful sleep beneficial to child growth and development. Older teens might get bruxism resulting from smoking, illicit drug use, and drinking alcohol.
How to treat and prevent bruxism
Dental treatment
Sometimes children outgrow bruxism although dentist treatment is recommended. This is true when your child’s teeth is showing signs of wear resulting from prolonged damage by bruxism. The professional dentist will offer appropriate treatment. Keep in mind that it is not easy to tell whether teeth wear is caused by bruxism since teeth grinding various over time.
Diet change
Tooth grinding in children might be caused by diet. Giving your child too many sugary drinks contributes to the erosion of enamel. Fruit juice and sports drinks also have too much sugar and might be acidic. Fortunately, the family dentist might suggest a diet change for your child to avoid tooth wear. This might help to keep the child’s teeth strong and less prone to wear.
Plastic night guard
When your child has bruxism, the dentist might have to learn about the symptoms of the problem. Some of these might include waking up with a bad headache, earache, or jaw pain. The dentist might suggest getting a custom plastic night guard for your child. This is made from durable thermoplastic to fit over the child’s upper teeth.
Whenever your child tries to grind or clench their teeth, the lower ones glide harmlessly on the plastic. This solution is appropriate for children with adult teeth but not for those with baby teeth. When your child suffers from bruxism resulting from an obstructed airway, the dentist might recommend taking the child to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
In conclusion
It is very important to take your child to see a family dental when you notice him or her developing bruxism. The dentist will prescribe the appropriate medication and suggestions to eliminate teeth grinding in your child. However, some children can outgrow teeth grinding and it is harmless. Only a professional dentist will give you the way forward to helping your child deal with bruxism.