Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the effect of the current coronavirus pandemic on the prevalence of bruxism, oral parafunctions and painful Temporo-Mandibular Disorders (TMDs) and to evaluate the influence of the pandemic on both sexes. Methods: This retrospective study included 288 dental patients who underwent complete anamnesis and examination according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. The study evaluated two patient populations according to the date of examination: (a) pre-COVID-19 pandemic era (108 patients); (b) COVID 19 pandemic era, where 180 patients were examined during the pandemic. Results: A significant increase in parafunction activity was found in both men and women (p < 0.001) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Awake bruxism (AB) and sleep bruxism (SB) was more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic solely in women (AB-p < 0.001; SB-p = 0.014). Conclusions: Men and women were affected by the ongoing stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet women showed a higher influence as compared to men. The long-term exposure to elevated levels of anxiety and stress may aggravate or trigger stomatognathic detrimental conditions. Dentists should be aware and regularly monitor their patients regarding the possible existence and consequences of bruxism and TMD.
Highlights
The definition of bruxism was set in 2013 by a panel of experts, stating that bruxism is considered a “repetitive jaw muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or bracing or thrusting of the mandible” [1]
Bonferroni correction a significant difference between men and women was only found in reported Temporo-Mandibular Disorders (TMDs) pain (p = 0.042) (Table 1)
The present study aimed to investigate whether in a general patient population the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the prevalence of bruxism behaviors (AB and sleep bruxism (SB)), oral parafunctional activity (OP) and painful TMDs
Summary
The definition of bruxism was set in 2013 by a panel of experts, stating that bruxism is considered a “repetitive jaw muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or bracing or thrusting of the mandible” [1]. In 2018, the same panel published an update consensus that developed separate definitions for sleep and awake bruxism They concluded that sleep and awake bruxism are masticatory muscle activities that occur during sleep (characterized as rhythmic or non-rhythmic) and wakefulness (characterized by repetitive or sustained tooth contact and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible), respectively. They claimed that in otherwise healthy individuals bruxism should not be considered as a disorder but rather as a behavior that may be a risk (and/or protective) factor for certain clinical consequences [2]. This is in contrast to oral lesions, which are more prominent in the mature and elderly age groups [12]
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