Dr. Komarovsky: why does a child gnash his teeth in a dream?
Hearing at least once, as the baby creaks its teeth during sleep, most parents are frightened and begin to worry. Doctors do not consider this phenomenon a disease, but in some situations it may adversely affect the health of the child. Turning to Dr. Komarovsky, you can find out why there is gnashing of teeth in a dream and what should be done by parents who have heard it for a long time from the cot at night.
Causes of squeak teeth in a dream
The famous pediatrician confirms that the creaking of teeth during sleep, called physicians bruxism, occurs in every third to fifth child under the age of 6-8 years. Komarovsky notes that bruxism happens in adults, but in children it is diagnosed much more often, and in most cases in boys.
According to a popular doctor, the appearance of gnashing teeth is associated with an involuntary contraction of the chewing muscles, as a result of which the child’s jaws shrink uncontrollably.
The most frequent causes of bruxism Komarovsky calls:
- Emotional shakes, negative stress or excessive fatigue. Because of these factors, according to the well-known pediatrician, the nervous system of the child goes out of balance, which is manifested by various symptoms, among which bruxism is noted.
- Teething in children of the first years of life, as well as changing the teeth to permanent ones. Komarovsky notes that the discomfort due to constant itching and pain makes children constantly rub their teeth together. At the same time, according to the pediatrician, such a reason often provokes gnashing of teeth not at night, but during the day.
- The defeat of the jaw joints or the violation of the bite. Statistics show that bruxism is a frequent manifestation of these pathologies.
- Heredity. In his practice, Komarovsky noted that the children of those parents who gritted their teeth as a child had bruxism very often.
- Sleep disturbance Komarovsky emphasizes that bruxism often appears in children who suffer from nightmares, enuresis, saying, sleepwalking or snoring.
- Adenoiditis, runny nose, or otitis. A popular doctor notes that with such illnesses, the child feels discomfort due to congestion or pain, and creaks his teeth in response.
- Calcium deficiency, B-group vitamins, magnesium and amino acids. According to Komarovsky, these nutrients are important for normal muscle contraction. If there is a shortage of them, the child has a convulsive syndrome, manifested by bruxism.
- Inadequate jaw load. If the parents give the baby a little hard food, it can also cause squeak at night.
The connection of bruxism with worms
Komarovsky confirms that people have long been associated with gnashing of teeth with infection with helminths. And nowadays, he has heard more than once how the older generation recommends, at bruxism, to immediately "expel the worms." However, as medical research confirms, there is no direct connection between helminthic invasion and teeth gnashing.
Komarovsky emphasizes that bruxism can appear both in children with worms, and in babies who do not have helminthiasis. Although, according to a famous doctor, infection worms can really aggravate the manifestation of bruxism, but exactly the same situation is possible in the absence of worms in the children's body. Watch a short video on this.
What should parents do?
Komarovsky calls bruxism a non-dangerous phenomenon, which in most cases resolves on its own and does not require any treatment. However, if it bothers the child very often, there is a threat to the baby’s teeth (they can get damaged and loose). Then parents should show the child to the doctors.
For the treatment of bruxism, a famous pediatrician advises to contact a neuropathologist and a dentist, since in most children it is these specialists who can eliminate the causes of gnashing their teeth in their sleep. To prevent the tooth enamel from erasing during nightly creaking of teeth, Komarovsky recommends resorting to wearing a special mouth guard.
