(Generalized) Bruxism: Current Challenges and Innovative Treatment

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Dentistry, Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (2 August 2023) | Viewed by 10397

Special Issue Editors

Department of Neuroscience, School of Dentistry, UNIPD, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Interests: bruxism; awake bruxism; sleep bruxism; ecological momentary assessment
Department of Neuroscience, School of Dentistry, UNIPD, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Interests: bruxism; temporomandibular disorders; orofacial pain
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bruxism is a hot topic in medicine, because of the many medical conditions that may be associated with it and require multidisciplinary involvement of different professionals (e.g., dentists, neurologists, psychologists, sleep doctors).

The current evidence suggests that bruxism is a muscle behavior not suitable for evaluation in terms of the simple dichotomy “present vs absent”. The different motor activities belonging to the bruxism spectrum need to be potentially discriminated between each other, and an impression of their phenotype in terms of duration and intensity is also needed.

Knowledge on bruxism is rapidly evolving, especially with regard to the concept of bruxism itself, which is now viewed as an umbrella term for different sleep- and wake-time jaw muscle activities that are not necessarily related with specific sleep correlates or with teeth contact. This means that future development in the approaches to evaluate bruxism must reflect the ongoing paradigm change in its definition.

The final goal is to understand when bruxism is just a harmless behavior or is associated with negative (e.g., tooth wear, orofacial pain, TMD) and/or positive health outcomes (e.g., restore of airway latency in patients with sleep apnea, oral moistening).

Practitioners frequently examine patients who engage in frequent bruxism activities. Nonetheless, it is important that treatment is directed to those patients with pain and/or other negative consequences on teeth, restorations, and implants. Concurrently, overtreatment of patients with neutral or positive effects of bruxism should be avoided as well as a proper referral strategy to other specialists for any underlying disorder must be adopted.

Thus, investigating bruxism epidemiology by the use of standardised tools is a recommended strategy that may have an important social impact to integrate dental and medical knowledge.

Dr. Alessandro Bracci
Prof. Dr. Daniele Manfredini
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • bruxism
  • awake bruxism
  • sleep bruxism
  • ecological momentary assessment
  • temporomandibular disorders
  • teeth grinding
  • teeth clenching
  • mandibular bracing

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 685 KiB  
Article
Sleep Bruxism and Orofacial Pain in Patients with Sleep Disorders: A Controlled Cohort Study
by Maria Lavinia Bartolucci, Serena Incerti Parenti, Francesco Bortolotti, Veronica Della Godenza, Stefano Vandi, Fabio Pizza, Giuseppe Plazzi and Giulio Alessandri-Bonetti
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(8), 2997; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12082997 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1537
Abstract
Background: The gold standard for the diagnosis of sleep bruxism (SB) is laboratory polysomnography (L-PSG) recording. However, many clinicians still define SB using patients’ self-assessment and/or clinical tooth wear (TW). The purpose of this cross-sectional controlled study was to compare the prevalence of [...] Read more.
Background: The gold standard for the diagnosis of sleep bruxism (SB) is laboratory polysomnography (L-PSG) recording. However, many clinicians still define SB using patients’ self-assessment and/or clinical tooth wear (TW). The purpose of this cross-sectional controlled study was to compare the prevalence of TW, head-neck muscles sensitivity and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) between SB and non-SB patients diagnosed with L-PSG in a cohort of patient with sleep disorders (SD). Methods: 102 adult subjects with suspected SD underwent L-PSG recording to assess the presence of sleep disorder and SB. TW was clinically analyzed using TWES 2.0. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) of masticatory muscles were assessed using a Fisher algometer. Diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) were used to evaluate the presence of TMD. SB self-assessment questionnaires were administered. TWES score, PPT, TMD prevalence and questionnaire results were compared between SB and non-SB patients. Results: 22 SB patients and 66 non-SB patients with SD were included. No significant differences emerged between groups in regards to TW, the PPT values, or SB’s self-assessment questionnaires as well the prevalence of TMD. Conclusion: in a SD population, TW is not pathognomonic of active SB and SB self-assessment is not reliable. There seems to be no correlation between SB, TMD and head/neck muscle sensitivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Generalized) Bruxism: Current Challenges and Innovative Treatment)
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10 pages, 906 KiB  
Article
Nutrients Associated with Sleep Bruxism
by Naoki Toyama, Daisuke Ekuni, Daiki Fukuhara, Nanami Sawada, Miho Yamashita, Momoe Komiyama, Takahiko Nagahama and Manabu Morita
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(7), 2623; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072623 - 31 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4396
Abstract
Background: The purpose of the present research was to identify nutrients related to sleep bruxism and to establish a hypothesis regarding the relationship between sleep bruxism and nutrients. Methods: We recruited 143 Japanese university students in 2021 and assigned them to sleep bruxism [...] Read more.
Background: The purpose of the present research was to identify nutrients related to sleep bruxism and to establish a hypothesis regarding the relationship between sleep bruxism and nutrients. Methods: We recruited 143 Japanese university students in 2021 and assigned them to sleep bruxism (n = 58) and non-sleep bruxism groups (n = 85), using an identical single-channel wearable electromyography device. To investigate nutrient intakes, participants answered a food frequency questionnaire based on food groups. We assessed differences in nutrient intakes between the sleep bruxism and non-sleep bruxism groups. Results: Logistic regression modeling showed that sleep bruxism tended to be associated with dietary fiber (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–1.00; p = 0.059). In addition, a subgroup analysis selecting students in the top and bottom quartiles of dietary fiber intake showed that students with sleep bruxism had a significantly lower dietary fiber intake (10.4 ± 4.6 g) than those without sleep bruxism (13.4 ± 6.1 g; p = 0.022). Conclusion: The present research showed that dietary fiber intake may be related to sleep bruxism. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary fiber would improve sleep bruxism in young adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Generalized) Bruxism: Current Challenges and Innovative Treatment)
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10 pages, 273 KiB  
Article
Sleep Bruxism in Children—What Can Be Learned from Anamnestic Information
by Alona Emodi-Perlman, Yarden Shreiber-Fridman, Shani Kaminsky-Kurtz, Ilana Eli and Sigalit Blumer
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(7), 2564; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072564 - 29 Mar 2023
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Abstract
Sleep bruxism (SB) is a masticatory muscle activity during sleep, and its clinical manifestation in young children is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of anamnestic information in predicting possible SB in children aged 4–12 years. [...] Read more.
Sleep bruxism (SB) is a masticatory muscle activity during sleep, and its clinical manifestation in young children is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of anamnestic information in predicting possible SB in children aged 4–12 years. In a cross-sectional retrospective exploratory study, the dental files of 521 children were examined with regard to the following anamnestic information: gender, age, medical conditions associated with ear, nose, and throat (ENT), respiratory disorders, use of methylphenidate (Ritalin), oral habits, and bruxing during sleep. A child was defined as presenting possible SB when a positive report was received from parents regarding such behavior (SB positive, No. = 84). There were no age- and/or gender-wise differences between SB-positive children and children whose parents did not report SB behavior (SB negative). SB-positive children suffered more from ENT and respiratory disorders than children without SB. Additionally, the use of pacifiers/finger sucking, as well as snoring, were more common among SB-positive children as compared to their SB-negative counterparts (Chi-square). The variables which were found to significantly increase the odds of possible SB in children were mouth breathing, ENT problems, and use of a pacifier or finger sucking (forward stepwise logistic regression). Clinicians should look for clinical signs of possible SB in children whose anamnesis reveals one or more of these anamnestic signals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Generalized) Bruxism: Current Challenges and Innovative Treatment)
9 pages, 527 KiB  
Article
Influence of MAD Application on Episodes of Obstructive Apnea and Bruxism during Sleep—A Prospective Study
by Monika Wojda and Jolanta Kostrzewa-Janicka
J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11(19), 5809; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11195809 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1414
Abstract
The condition of sleep bruxism (SB) is defined by many authors as the body’s response to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In the conservative treatment of OSA, mandibular advancement devices (MADs) have found their application. The aim of the study iso assess the impact [...] Read more.
The condition of sleep bruxism (SB) is defined by many authors as the body’s response to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In the conservative treatment of OSA, mandibular advancement devices (MADs) have found their application. The aim of the study iso assess the impact of MADs on the occurrence of episodes and the intensity of OSA and SB. The study sample consisted of eight patients with OSA and SB diagnosed with these conditions on the basis of clinical examinations and polysomnography (PSG). The prospective study was designed to assess the use of MADs for OSA and SB. MADs were prepared for the patients who subsequently underwent control examinations after one week of wear, and another PSG (PSG II) with an MAD was performed in conditions resembling the first qualification examination (PSG I). The same parameters were assessed in both PSG examinations. Following treatment with the MAD, a favorable lowering of the mean values of the examined parameters was observed. The statistically significant differences were demonstrated only for the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), the oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and the number of apneas and hypopneas, obstructive apneas, apneas in OSA, and phasic episodes of bruxism. The application of MADs in patients with OSA has a beneficial effect on the same manifestations of OSA and SB, even though only the number of phasic episodes of bruxism was statistically significant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Generalized) Bruxism: Current Challenges and Innovative Treatment)
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