# Grinding Teeth = Worms?



## MyBoysBlue (Apr 27, 2007)

My Mother in Law has mentioned a few times to me that my DS1 who is 7 grinds his teeth in his sleep. I must admit that I have never noticed this I keep forgetting to go check on him once he's asleep. He is in his own room. MIL insists that this means he has worms. I've done a bit of Google-ing but some dismiss it as an old wives tale others don't. I'm wondering what people here think. He doesn't seem to have any other health problems, he does still wet the bed about once every 2-3 weeks but I don't know if that could be related.

Any Idea's? Is there truth to this wives tale?


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## kjbrown92 (Dec 13, 2007)

I had pinworms when I was younger and I didn't grind my teeth. Never heard of that connection but I've heard of odder things. My DS's bedwetting was from food intolerances.


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## HappyAgain (Mar 24, 2007)

My 8 year old used to do this. I asked his dentist. He could see that his teeth were ground down from it. The verdict was STRESS.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

It sounds like nonsense to me. I just don't see how it's logical, that grinding teeth could be causes by worms in the intestines. Just doesn't make sense. But what do I know?

Tooth grinding can be the result of a problem with stress or anxiety, or a self-stimulating or self-soothing habit.

Bedwetting at that age is really very common. I wouldn't assume that there's a connection.


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## laohaire (Nov 2, 2005)

Bruxism.

My DH has it. His mother has it. I guess it can be genetic and doesn't need to have anything to do with stress (I'm not sure but that might be an old wives tale).

One thing DH wishes he could do would be to go back in time and tell his younger self to wear his mouthpiece while sleeping! He has it pretty bad and has ground his teeth down near the nerve


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## MyBoysBlue (Apr 27, 2007)

OK I did a bit of looking around and found a few sites. Not the most scientific sites but here they are:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Grinding-T...ses&id=1141792
http://healing.about.com/cs/uc_direc...arasites_2.htm

They do mention bed wetting too. I think I might just go get him tested if he really is grinding his teeth. I still have to check that.


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## Lindy (Dec 19, 2001)

In my experience, tooth grinding and bed wetting is because of food allergies. Dairy and wheat most commonly. Just try going without dairy and wheat for a couple of weeks and see if it helps. Oh and sugar.


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## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

My tooth grinding was related to low magnesium. I think this is one of those things that can have multiple causes, so making a list and then seeing what fits in other ways is something that's worked for me.


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## KatWrangler (Mar 21, 2005)

Stress. Never heard of the worms thing. Sounds like an old wives tale.


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## Otto (Oct 19, 2009)

Brazil reports no soap on the worms.


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## mbravebird (May 9, 2005)

Magnesium deficiency can cause teeth grinding. In a child, an easy way to get them more magnesium is to give them epsom salt baths.


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## ted thorne (Apr 13, 2012)

It is an old wives tale that grinding teeth means worms.

There are more telling signs of a child having worms, such as restless sleeping, itchy bottom,uncomfortable walking, frequent urination and even wetting the bed.Severe worms can cause a child to cry.

But as for worms causinggrinding teeth, there is no causal connection (scientific or medical). The worms habitat is in the anus, not the mouth.

Extreme cases of worms may result in eggs being laid in the mouth but for that to occur the other symptons would have been very prevalent.

What most likely has happened that gave rise to the wives tale is that someone's child who was grindingtheir teeth also had worms. That child probably also had nightmares so did the worms cause the nightmares or was it the grinding teeth. Maybe the child dreamt of a giant worom grinding their teeth on the child!!


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## humans4hope (Jul 16, 2012)

I have worms and I have been recently grinding my teeth......

....


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