Patient's question:
What are the common reasons for a child grinding their teeth at night? Does it require treatment?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Sometimes, the child may grind their teeth unconsciously during sleep. This phenomenon usually occurs when falling asleep after a full meal or excessive excitement. After a full meal, a large amount of undigested food accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract, causing the child's entire digestive system to continue working even after falling asleep. This continuous activity of digestion and absorption in the body still drives the chewing muscles, leading to grinding of the teeth during sleep. Additionally, grinding of the teeth may also occur during sleep when the child is overly excited.In addition to the above reasons, if the child grinds their teeth frequently, parasitic diseases and rickets may also be reasons for this behavior.
Hookworm is a parasitic worm that lives in the human intestinal tract. While absorbing nutrients, it also secretes toxins that stimulate the intestinal wall, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain, restlessness, and nighttime grinding of the teeth. Therefore, parents should consult a doctor and give the child deworming medication.
Furthermore, children with rickets may experience grinding of the teeth at night due to a lack of vitamin D in their bodies and poor absorption of calcium. This not only leads to skeletal symptoms such as a square head, outwardly flared lower edge of the ribs, and pigeon chest during growth but also causes neurological symptoms like excessive sweating, night terrors, and restlessness. Nighttime grinding of the teeth is one of the symptoms. Timely treatment is necessary.