How do I stop my child from grinding their teeth at night?
Okay parents…hopefully you landed on this page because you’re wondering why your child is grinding their teeth at night. As a parent whose own child did this, I empathize how you might be reacting to the sound of their gnashing at night. I liken it to the proverbial nails on a chalkboard sound.
Before I understood WHY my daughter was grinding her teeth at night, my first instinct was to fabricate a child-size nightguard to protect her teeth. Week after week, she would chew right through each nightguard I made her. While her teeth may have been protected, it didn’t address the root cause of why she was grinding. My next stop was her pediatrician, who simply said “it’s common…it’s normal, she will outgrow it”. My professor once told me “just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it’s normal”. Which led me to learn more about why this was happening and how to stop it.
So the answer is NOT
teeth that aren’t aligned properly
stress
anxiety
The root cause in most cases is AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. I know…even a thorough Google search doesn’t yield this answer. But let’s delve into the fascinating link between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and nighttime teeth grinding in children, shedding light on how these interconnected issues can impact your child’s dental health.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): We understand that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can pose challenges for your child's sleep. Often associated with enlarged tonsils or adenoids, OSA can inadvertently lead to teeth grinding during the night.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): One of the common sleep disorders associated with SDB is obstructive sleep apnea, where there are repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep due to a partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway. In children, enlarged tonsils or adenoids are often the culprits.
Connection to Bruxism: The effort to breathe against an obstructed airway can create a vacuum effect, leading to an increase in negative pressure in the throat. This, in turn, can cause the lower jaw to be pulled back, leading to grinding and clenching of the teeth as the body attempts to maintain an open airway.
Sleep Fragmentation: SDB, including conditions like snoring and sleep apnea, can result in fragmented sleep. As a consequence, a child may experience multiple brief awakenings throughout the night.
Connection to Bruxism: Fragmented sleep can disrupt the normal sleep cycle, leading to shifts between different sleep stages. These disruptions can contribute to increased muscle activity, including jaw clenching and teeth grinding during the night.
Arousal Responses: SDB can trigger arousal responses, causing a child to partially wake up to resume normal breathing. These micro-arousals may not be fully conscious but can disrupt the sleep cycle.
Connection to Bruxism: Arousal responses are associated with increased muscle activity, including the muscles involved in chewing. This heightened muscle activity during these arousal episodes can manifest as bruxism.
Hypoxia (Low Oxygen Levels): In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, there may be periods of reduced oxygen levels (hypoxia) during sleep.
Connection to Bruxism: Hypoxia can activate the body's stress response, leading to an increase in muscle activity, including teeth grinding. The body's attempt to overcome the airway obstruction and restore normal breathing can manifest as bruxism.
Okay…so what does this mean? Simply put, if your child cannot properly breath at night, their brain is telling their body to move their jaw to the most optimal position to maximize air flow. The solution to this is to “train” your body using the natural forces of the tongue and guided by specialized appliances to essentially reshape the upper and lower arch and create the space needed to maximize airflow. As a result, if addressed early enough (under age 12), the bones are malleable enough guide them into the optimal alignment. The result is proper airway development and straighter teeth. How does this result in straight teeth? Well…by shaping the jaw and creating the space needed for adult teeth to come correctly, teeth will grow in straight. When jaws are narrow, teeth will have a tendency to crowd and come in crooked. This is a win-win in my opinion! Proper breathing and straight teeth!
I have treated my daughter using this method, and as a result, she has a nice jawline, no longer grinds, does not suffer from congestion (unless sick), sleeps through the night, and also has nice straight teeth without the need for braces.
Hopefully you found this information helpful! If you’re in the San Diego area and would like to learn more, call us at (858) 490-4281 and schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consult with Dr. Agatep.
Additional information on the appliances I use can be found here.