Our experts:
- Dr Nadège Jegat, pediatric dental surgeon in Antony (Hauts-de-Seine)
- Dr Jona Andersen, pediatric dentist in Paris.
Bruxism: a shrill noise
Looks like chalk creaking on a blackboard! At night, in his sleep, our child has the annoying habit of rubbing his teeth against each other, which causes terrible grinding. This is called bruxism. An unconscious disorder that affects about 11% of children aged 3 to 7. “In general, it occurs when the first baby teeth pierce, and in addition to a shrill noise, is manifested by premature wear of the enamel, headaches and / or pain in the jaw when waking up. », Explains Dr Jona Andersen, pediatric dentist in Paris.
Various causes of bruxism
As impressive as it is, the phenomenon is not, however, worrying at this age. “Tell yourself, these are temporary teeth that are meant to be worn out. And that in most cases things return to normal naturally around the age of 6 with the emergence of the first permanent molars », Reassures Dr Nadège Jegat, pediatric dental surgeon. However, it can happen that this bad habit continues into adolescence, and even beyond. With the key consequences much more serious for the dentition. Hence the importance of identifying the origin of the problem as soon as possible. And this is not necessarily an easy task! “In children, bruxism can be linked as well to improper jaw position than in the presence of intestinal worms, especially pinworms, ”says Dr. Andersen. This is because females lay eggs in the anus at night, which causes anal itching, often accompanied by nocturnal anxiety. Symptoms that a child may try to alleviate by grinding their teeth. This is why Dr Andersen always recommends having the child dewormed in case of bruxism.
Bruxism: a pediatric dentist is consulted
“Some children with ear infections also sometimes have to move their jaw to relieve the pressure they feel in the ear,” says Dr. Andersen. No problem with his eardrums? We must then perhaps look for the cause on the psychological side. “Most often, bruxism is manifestation of anxiety related to repressed trauma : a divorce, a move, a change of school or the arrival of a little brother, ”confirms Dr Andersen. Unless it is quite simply a decompensation of annoyances stored during the day. “The young child can not bear the constraints imposed by the teacher or by his classmates at school,” says Dr. Jégat.
If in doubt, we start by making an appointment with a pediatric dentist to take stock. If he is a really anxious child, we can then introduce him to relaxation techniques or take him see a psychologist to help him put words to his stresss and teach him to get rid of it.