Sleep-Related Bruxism

Abstract

This study aimed to review the current knowledge on sleep-related bruxism, highlight the most recent findings, and discuss future research perspectives. Sleep-related bruxism etiology appeared to follow a genetic-environmental model, whereas comorbidity with other sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux has been recently described and deserves further investigations. Sleep-related bruxism is an involuntary motor activity characterized by episodic and rhythmic masticatory muscle contractions of tooth grinding or jaw clenching during sleep. It predominantly occurs during light sleep stages and in association with sleep arousal. Although the gold standard diagnostic tool is a polysomnography recording, most of the time diagnosis is based on the medical and dental history and the clinical examination. A conservative therapeutic approach is generally recommended, using dental guards, and it aims to manage and prevent the eventual consequences on the masticatory system, including tooth wear, prosthetic biomechanical complications, implant failure, muscle pain, and headaches.