Abstract
Bruxism has a multifactorial etiology, and psychosocial factors have been considered to increase the risk of occurrence of this parafunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior profile of a group of children diagnosed with bruxism. Eighty 7-11-year-old children of both genders (mean age 8.8 years) first recruited as eligible participants. Twenty-nine children (18 males and 11 females) whose parents/guardians reported to present frequent episodes of tooth grinding/clenching while awake or during sleep (at least 3 nights a week) in the previous 3 months were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of bruxism was established based on the parents/guardians' report about the children's behavior, habits and possible discomforts in the components of the stomatognathic system allied to the presence of signs and symptoms such as pain on the masticatory muscles, masseter muscle hypertrophy, wear facets, fractures of restorations, dental impressions on the cheek mucosa and tongue. As part of the psychological evaluation, the Rutter's Child Behavior Scale-A2 was applied to the parents/caregivers (one for each child) and the Child Stress Scale was applied to the children. Data were analyzed descriptively based on the frequency of each studied variable. Twenty-four (82.76%) children needed psychological or psychiatric intervention; 17 of them presented neurotic disorders and 7 children presented antisocial disorders. Six (20.70%) children presented significant physical and psychological manifestations of stress. The findings of the present study suggest that behavioral problems and potential emotional problems can be risk factors to bruxism in children.
Highlights
Bruxism is defined as a non-functional activity or parafunctional habit characterized by repeated clenching and/or grinding of teeth in an unconscious manner [1]
The analysis of the Rutter’s Child Behavior Scale-A2 scores showed that 24 children (82.76%) needed psychological or psychiatric intervention
The etiopathogenesis of bruxism in children is not very clear and some authors have associated the occurrence of this parafunction with several factors such as changes in the dentition, malocclusions, sleep disturbances like parasomnias and emotional stress
Summary
Bruxism is defined as a non-functional activity or parafunctional habit characterized by repeated clenching and/or grinding of teeth in an unconscious manner [1]. This condition may occur while the patient is awake or more commonly during sleep, in which case it is considered as a sleep movement disorder [2,3]. According to Lavigne et al [2], complaints of tooth grinding occurring during sleep decline over time, from 14% in children to 8% in adults to 3% in patients over 60 years of age This progressive decline in the occurrence of sleep bruxism with age has been reported by Kato et al [4], who found a linear decrease with age, from 19% between 3-10 years, to 13% in adolescents and young adults to 3% individuals aged 60 years or older. Kato et al [4] affirmed that the prevalence of awake bruxism in the general population ranges from 80 to 90%, while Lavigne et al [2] found this prevalence to be is approximately 20%
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
