This summary is based on the article published in Clinical Pediatrics: Association between Sleep Bruxism and Psychosocial Factors in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (May 2015)
Graziela De Luca Canto, DDS, MSc, PhD; Vandana Singh, DDS, MSc; Paulo Conti, DDS, MSc, PhD; Bruce D. Dick, PhD, RPsych; David Gozal, MD; Paul W. Major, DDS, MSc, FRCD(C); and Carlos Flores-Mir, DDS, MSc, DSc, FRCD(C)
Context
- Bruxism is defined as the “repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible.”1
- Bruxism has 2 distinct circadian manifestations: It can occur during sleep (sleep bruxism [SB]) or during wakefulness (awake bruxism [AB]).2
- As a result of periodic mechanical grinding, SB can lead to tooth wear, tooth mobility, and other clinical findings such as tongue/cheek indentation, masticatory muscle hypertrophy, temporomandibular joint pain, headaches, and masticatory muscle pain or fatigue.5
- The authors are unaware of any systematic analysis of published studies that addressed SB in children and adolescents, even though several published studies have suggested a possible association between psychosocial factors and bruxism in both children 8-17 and adolescents.9,17
Purpose of the Review
To summarize the association between sleep bruxism and psychosocial factors in children and adolescents.
Key Findings
- Based on the available evidence, there is no evidence to support or dispel the presence of an association between SB and psychosocial factors in children younger than 5 years.
- A significant association between SB and stressful, anxious, and tense personality traits emerged in children between 6 and 11 years of age.
- Similarly, a significant association between SB and psychosocial disorders (anxiety thought, conduct, and antisocial disorders) was present in adolescents (12-17 years old).
- The current available evidence suggests an association between sleep bruxism and psychological factors in children older than 6 years.
References
I believe that there is a strong possibility that your bruxing patients could have a restricted airway. As such, these patients would begin to develop the sequelae of reduced air flow during sleep. This could include restlessness, anxiety, and behavioral disorders.
Any further bruxism studies would do well to include an analysis on upper airway obstruction.
I totally agree with Dr.Hill that any further studies should examine for restricted airway issues in the younger group. The results of poor airway development and future psychsocial issues would appear in the studies. This would explain the lack of correlation in the early years but a change to significant correlation as the child gets older.
De plus en plus de recherches démontrent qu’effectivement, le réflexe de serrer/grincer les dents pourraient être causé par une apnée du sommeil.