Question
What are the reasons for grinding teeth in children during sleep?
Answer
Grinding teeth in children during sleep may be caused by abnormal excitation of some brain cells in the motor area of the mandible controlled by the cerebral cortex. This abnormal excitation leads to dysfunction of the trigeminal nerve, resulting in a strong, continuous, non-functional contraction of the chewing muscles, causing the chewing movements that produce the sound of grinding teeth. Bruxism refers to habitual grinding of teeth during deep sleep or unconscious grinding during the day, and it is a chronic, vicious cycle disease, generally classified into three types. Normally, during the period of tooth replacement from 6 to 13 years old, for the purpose of restoring the alignment of upper and lower teeth, children may experience grinding teeth.