With the dominance of social media and the pressure on kids to grow up faster these days, being a kid has never been harder. Now, a recent study has found that kids who grind their teeth could be being bullied. Apparently, teeth grinding is a sign that parents should be aware of and could help draw attention to the fact that their child is being bullied.
Teens who experience bullying are more likely to grind their teeth in their sleep. The research found that they were nearly 4 times more likely to suffer from sleep bruxism, or teeth grinding and clenching. This was compared to children who were not being bullied. Bruxism is a mainly nocturnal sleep disorder in which patients grind or clench their teeth while sleeping and this can create significant oral health problems.
The human jaw is capable of exerting great pressure that, over time, can wear down teeth or cause them to chip or crack. Often people with bruxism will have oral pain. It can spread to the face and even to the neck and shoulders. It is not uncommon for people with bruxism to have migraines. Without the correct treatment, bruxism can cause irreparable damage to the teeth and even the jaws.
It may seem strange to relate bruxism to bullying. In fact, bruxism is often associated with stress, and bullying can contribute significantly to a child’s stress levels.
Your child doesn’t have to be bullied to have bruxism
While your child may be grinding their teeth because they are being bullied, this is not always the case. Bruxism is quite common among children, particularly those under the age of 11. In fact, it’s so common that pediatric dentists can only treat this condition when it causes severe tooth pain or wear, or when a child has trouble sleeping.
It is a parafunctional activity, which means that it is outside of normal activity. Children are often susceptible to these types of habits that are usually subconscious. Other common childhood habits include nail biting, finger or thumb sucking, and cheek biting. When a child becomes aware of her habits, they can often be stopped or her behavior modified.
It’s a little more complicated when a child has bruxism because it happens during sleep.
When do children develop bruxism and what factors put them at greater risk?
In a healthy child, sleep bruxism can begin as early as 1 year of age, shortly after the front teeth erupt. At this age, teeth grinding may be due to immaturity of the muscles that control chewing. It is believed that bruxism is likely to occur at the time when sleep changes from deep REM sleep to non-REM sleep. It has been found that in young adults, more than 80% of bruxism episodes occur during non-REM sleep, while only 5-10% occur during deep sleep.
In children, bruxism is usually more frequent in those who breathe through their mouths or who snore. It is believed that there may be a connection between obstructive sleep apnea and bruxism. Obstructive sleep apnea is when the airway becomes partially or completely blocked due to relaxation of the tongue and muscles in the back of the throat. This allows the tongue to fall back, blocking the airway.
Sleep apnea can be dangerous because patients often partially wake up many times each night. This prevents a restful sleep that affects the growth and development of the child. There is also the possibility that bruxism is related to enlarged tonsils which, in turn, can obstruct the upper airway. Sometimes removing tonsils or adenoids in children has helped reduce teeth grinding. Another possible factor is asthma and infections that affect the respiratory system.
Prescription medications, such as antidepressants and ADHD medications, can possibly contribute to teeth grinding habits. The number of children prescribed these medications is growing. Bruxism in older teens can sometimes be associated with smoking and drinking alcohol and illicit drug use.
Treatment and prevention of bruxism
In many cases, children will outgrow bruxism, and often a pediatric dentist may not recommend treatment. However, if there are signs of tooth wear or other indications that bruxism is causing potential long-term damage to your dental health, a dentist may suggest treatment. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if tooth wear is due to a current bruxing habit because teeth grinding habits can change over time.
Another possible factor in teeth grinding could be diet. As the consumption of sugary soft drinks has increased, this has contributed to enamel erosion. Also, fruit juices and sports drinks are often high in sugar and can also be acidic. Your child’s pediatric dentist might suggest looking at her diet to see if any foods might be causing tooth wear. If this is likely, they can suggest ways to improve your child’s diet to help preserve their teeth.
If your child has bruxism, your dentist will want information about other symptoms associated with this problem. These symptoms may include headaches, especially waking up with a bad headache, jaw pain, or ear pain. If your child’s pediatric dentist feels that teeth grinding needs treatment, he or she may suggest a thin, custom-made plastic night guard. Made of a strong thermoplastic material, a night guard or night splint is usually placed over the upper teeth.
This is so that when your child tries to clench or grind, their bottom teeth slide harmlessly against the plastic. While this approach may be appropriate for children with permanent teeth, it may not be appropriate if your child still has baby teeth. If there is a possibility that bruxism is due to a blocked airway, your pediatric dentist may refer your child to an otolaryngologist.
When prescription medications may be causing the problem, it might be worth taking your child to see their pediatrician. They may be able to prescribe a different medication or adjust the dosage. It is always vital to speak with your pediatrician first before stopping any medication or adjusting the dosage yourself. For many children, grinding their teeth will be a harmless habit that they will simply outgrow, as horrible as it may sound to parents.
However, it is always worth getting expert advice to determine the cause and find out if treatment is required.