Children
Who Grind Their Teeth Are More Likely To Have Problems In School, Be Withdrawn
ScienceDaily
(June 10, 2008) — Tooth grinding has an association with pre-school performance
when withdrawn behavior is present, according to a research abstract that will
be presented on June 10 at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the
Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
The
study focused on 1,956 pre-schoolers, whose low-income parents completed a questionnaire
that included frequency of tooth grinding during sleep.
According
to the results, 36.8 percent of pre-schoolers were reported to grind their
teeth one or more times per week, and 6.7 percent reported this behavior four
or more times per week. Further, as the frequency of children's tooth grinding
during sleep increased, parents were more likely to endorse that their child is
withdrawn, doesn't get involved with others, and that pre-school adjustment was
worse.
"Although
we can not assume that tooth grinding causes withdrawn behaviors or problems in
school, the dynamic relation between tooth grinding and pre-school adjustment
indicate that there may be clinical relevance to tooth grinding beyond being a
symptom of bruxism," said Salvatore P. Insana, of West Virginia
University, first author of the study. "Furthermore, parental report of
tooth grinding may be a sensitive indicator of the presence of bruxism among
young children."
Sleep-related
bruxism involves the grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep. It is common
for the jaw to contract while you sleep. When these contractions are too
strong, they produce the sound of tooth grinding. This can cause dental damage
by wearing the teeth down. In most severe cases, hundreds of events can occur
during the night. In milder cases, the grinding may vary from night to night.
The
rate of bruxism seems to be highest in children. About 14 to 17 percent of
children have it. It can begin as soon as a child's upper and lower teeth have
come through the gums. Around one third of children with bruxism will still
have it when they are adults.
It
can also be caused by stress and anxiety. This may be due to a life event or
pressure at school or work.
It
is recommended that children in pre-school get between 11-13 hours of nightly
sleep.
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1416085
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1416085
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