Q: Dear Dr. Mao,
My 4-year-old son is grinding his teeth badly at night. I have read that this could be a sign of certain parasites. Do you know of anything that could be causing him to do this and what could help?
A: Barring stress, anxiety, and fear of the night, there is a Chinese medical theory that heavy grinding at night during sleep is associated with intestinal worms. If there is also drooling, excessive itching of the nose or rectum, and nausea with vomiting, this also points to intestinal parasites. I would suggest you consult a physician to conduct proper tests to rule this out.
