Abstract
ObjectiveTo explore how bruxism is dealt with by accredited oral implantologists within daily clinical practice.Materials and methodsNine semi-structured interviews of oral implantologists practicing in non-academic clinical practices in the Netherlands were performed, and thematic analysis was conducted using a framework-based approach.ResultsOral implant treatments in bruxing patients were a generally well-accepted practice. Complications were often expected, with most being of minor impact. Contradictive attitudes emerged on the topic of bruxism being an etiologic factor for peri-implant bone loss and loss of osseointegration. Views on the ideal treatment plan varied, though the importance of the superstructure’s occlusion and articulation features was repeatedly pointed at. Similarly, views on protective splints varied, regarding their necessity and material choice. Bruxism was diagnosed mainly by clinical examination, alongside with patient anamnesis and clinician’s intuition. There was little attention for awake bruxism.DiscussionBruxism was generally not considered a contraindication for implantological treatments by accredited oral implantologists. Views on the interaction between bruxism and bone loss/loss of osseointegration varied, as did views on the ideal treatment plan.ConclusionsThere is a need for better understanding of the extent to which, and under which circumstances, sleep and/or awake bruxism can be seen as causal factors for the occurrence of oral implant complications.
Highlights
Clenching and/or grinding of the teeth is a characteristic expression of bruxism and can occur while sleeping and/or while being awake.1 In the field of restorative dentistry, bruxism is traditionally dealt with as “the bad guy,” to be associated with various types of failures of dental restorations.2 Regarding dental implants, it has been suggested that bruxism can lead to technical, and to a lesser extent to biological, complications even if, to date, no prospective evidence exists to prove this.3 Alongside, and as a consequence of this research paucity, no evidence-based gold standard exists about the optimal way to treat bruxers with dental implants
The other 79 dentists were not approached for the following reasons: personal or professional affiliations with the interviewer,12 inability to retrieve the e-mail address,13 not practicing in the Netherlands, or inclusion of a dentist practicing in the nearby area
It seems that both in daily practice and in research, implant complications can be expected in bruxers, and bruxism is not considered a contraindication for implant treatments per se
Summary
Clenching and/or grinding of the teeth is a characteristic expression of bruxism and can occur while sleeping and/or while being awake. In the field of restorative dentistry, bruxism is traditionally dealt with as “the bad guy,” to be associated with various types of failures of dental restorations. Regarding dental implants, it has been suggested that bruxism can lead to technical, and to a lesser extent to biological, complications even if, to date, no prospective evidence exists to prove this. Alongside, and as a consequence of this research paucity, no evidence-based gold standard exists about the optimal way to treat bruxers with dental implants. Clenching and/or grinding of the teeth is a characteristic expression of bruxism and can occur while sleeping and/or while being awake.. In the field of restorative dentistry, bruxism is traditionally dealt with as “the bad guy,” to be associated with various types of failures of dental restorations.. It has been suggested that bruxism can lead to technical, and to a lesser extent to biological, complications even if, to date, no prospective evidence exists to prove this.. As a consequence of this research paucity, no evidence-based gold standard exists about the optimal way to treat bruxers with dental implants. A variability in treatment approaches of bruxing patients can be expected amongst dentists placing and/or restoring dental implants
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