Teens grinding teeth during sleep may indicate they are being bullied

If you find your teenage child grinding his teeth during sleep then don’t neglect it, it could be a sign that they are being bullied at school, according to a study.

The study was conducted by an oral health charity in UK. It found that adolescents who faced bullying were more likely to grind their teeth while sleeping and this sign which could help find parents that their children were victimized.

According to the research, that teenagers who were bullied in school were four times more likely to suffer from sleep bruxism (65 per cent) compared to the ones who were not (17 per cent).

Sleep bruxism is a condition in which you grind your teeth during sleeping. But over time the condition can lead to oral health problems, including migraines, sensitive and worn teeth, chipped or cracked teeth, loosing of teeth and severe oral pain and can lead to irreparable damage.

The researchers asked the parents, caretakers and schools to be alert to students who complained of having oral health problems and syptoms related to bruxism so that they can help to solve the issue.

"Bullying of any form is absolutely abhorrent and can have a both physical and psychological impact, and when experienced in childhood, can lead to trauma that might last throughout adulthood," said Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, which carried the study.

"Grinding teeth may not sound like priority within the wider picture but it could prove to give a vital insight into a child's state of mind and could be an important sign for us to identify bullying at an earlier stage," said Carter.

"Both children and adults tend to grind their teeth when suffering from stress, and bullying is a significant contributor here," he said.