Children and Bruxing – Grinding at Night

We do not know Exactly Why It happens.

Yes, you heard it. We don’t know why children grind at night.

Studies go back as far back as 40 years and the results are mixed.

There is nothing definite about the mechanism of why children grind at night.

Here are some of the thoughts studies from dental specialists, respiratory physicians,  paediatricians and physiotherapists have listed as possible causes.

– Anxiety in children with bruxism were significantly higher

– Activities of muscles of mouth closing (temporalis and masseter) determined the presence / degree of bruxing and not occlusal contacts (bite position)

– Presence of Allergy was associated with higher incidence of bruxism in children

– Higher stomach acidity in bruxism (studied adults only and well managed by antacids but could also be the case in children, just a suggestion)

In my day to day observations, us Physiotherapists find strong correlation with poor head-neck posture in children with bruxism.

So there are many things that Physiotherapists can do to see if bruxism can be treated fully by change of postural behaviour in addition to treating any TMJ disorder such as muscle imbalance and joint capsule / ligament tightnesses.

So if your child suffers from or you know your child is wearing down teeth, or have jaw pain, speak to us today.

We will get your child on the right track to full recovery!