Tooth grinding linked to withdrawn behavior in young children Updated: 6/12/2008 2:00:38 PM Print Article Email Article           New research has suggested that children who grind their teeth are more likely to exhibit withdrawn behavior and do poorly at school. A study that was presented to the Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies this week focused on 1,956 pre-schoolers from low-income backgrounds. It found that 36.8 per cent of children of that age grind their teeth one or more times per week, while 6.7 per cent do so four or more time per week. As the frequency of tooth grinding incidents increased, parents were also more likely to report that their child is withdrawn, reluctant to get involved with others and adjusted poorly to the pre-school environment. Salvatore Insana of West Virginia University, first author of the study, stated: "Although we cannot assume that tooth grinding causes withdrawn behaviors or problems in school, the dynamic relation between tooth grinding and pre-school adjustment indicate that there may be clinical relevance to tooth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." Bruxism is the name given to the clenching of the jaw or grinding of teeth during sleep, which is fairly common as it is not usual for jaws to tense-up at night. It can chip teeth and wear down their protective enamel. If serious enough, it can also cause chronic headaches and jaw disorders. © 2008 Brafton Inc. Enter your ZIP code to compare the savings offered by the discount dental plans in your area. Take the first step toward a healthier smile and start saving today! > Find my dentist > Find a ZIP code             Additional Articles Mobile dental care clinics to be regulat... Dental care website aimed at low income ... Program helps children without dental in... Trust fund gives $1.9M for improved dent... Journal: Physician assistants should act... Photo contest aims to raise awareness of... Bill on mobile dental care postponed in ... FTC says bill restricts competition to p... Cuts in dental care program may affect t... Almost half of Hispanics cutting back on... Healthy eating habits improve dental hea... Bill to ban mobile dentistry clinics app... Link found between acid reflux and poor ... Bill on mobile dental care to schools ti... Dental care more than a quarter of farme... No clear best option for childhood filli... School program promotes dental care for ... For some, no job means no dental care Dentist reminds parents of early dental ... Study: Early dental care will help city ...

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