My 17-year-old son has a habit of grinding his teeth while sleeping. I heard that he may be lacking some nutrients. Please advise me, doctor. (Thanh An, Hanoi)
Reply:
Teeth grinding can overload the masticatory system. This condition, if prolonged, causes the chewing surfaces of the teeth to wear down, flatten, or chip, exposing the enamel to the dentin underneath. This increases tooth sensitivity. Long-term consequences include jaw pain or stiffness of the jaw muscles and can cause earaches.
Teeth grinding during sleep can be a form of sleep disorder, occurring in both adults and children. Currently, the main cause of the disease is still unknown. However, the disease is often associated with weight, jaw disorders, allergies and sleep position. In addition, stress is also one of the factors that affect and aggravate teeth grinding. Some foods that affect the nervous system can also aggravate this condition.
You should take your child to an ENT or neurologist for examination, diagnosis and effective treatment advice for teeth grinding. Regarding nutrition, you should also pay attention to the following issues:
Maintain a healthy weight for your child : Maintaining a healthy weight plays an important role in keeping the body and mind in the best condition. Some scientific research results have determined that being overweight or obese affects sleep, especially snoring. Limiting fat, animal fat and regular light exercise helps the body relax, the mind relaxes, reduces stress and can reduce teeth grinding while sleeping.
Foods to choose: Good fats are often found in fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna) and fatty nuts (walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, peanuts...) which are good for health and reduce stress. Colorful fruits contain many antioxidants, which are compounds that help prevent free radicals. By eating a lot of these fruits, you can improve your health, increase blood flow to the brain, and help you sleep better. Children should choose some traditional foods such as chrysanthemum tea, lotus tea, mugwort... to help them sleep deeply, reduce stress, and limit teeth grinding.
Foods to avoid : Spicy, hot foods with lots of spices like chili, can increase headaches and stress. Foods containing caffeine have a stimulating effect on the nervous system like coffee, green tea, if consumed before bed will reduce sleep quality, leading to more severe teeth grinding while sleeping.
Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System
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