Sleep bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea: association, causality or spurious finding? A scoping review.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the available evidence on the putative relationships between sleep bruxism (SB) and, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to assess the extent of research on this topic, and to formulate suggestions for future research. METHODS: A scoping review including studies examining temporal and overall association and prevalence of SB and OSA was performed. Six main databases and gray literature were searched. The studies selection was conducted by three independent reviewers. A narrative synthesis of the results was carried out. RESULTS: Thirteen studies in adults and eight studies in children were finally included. The median of concomitant conditions prevalence was 39.3% in adults and 26.1% in children. Marked methodological variability was identified among studies in adults and even more when we compared detection methods in children. No significant association between OSA and SB emerged in most studies in adults, while an association may be possible in children. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current literature, it is not possible to confirm that there is a relationship between SB and OSA in adults. In patients under pediatric care, although this association seems plausible, there is currently insufficient supportive evidence. Standardized validated methodologies for identifying SB should be consistently used in both populations before reaching any conclusion regarding such association. Furthermore, assessment of shared phenotypes between patients with SB and patients with OSA may reveal new insights that will contribute to personalized approaches aiming to optimize the management of such comorbidities.

Effects of stabilization splints on the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders of muscular origin: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess effects of stabilization splints on signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders of muscular origin compared to other treatments. METHODS: A search for articles via six electronic databases and gray literature was conducted. The risk of bias was evaluated with the Cochrane Collaboration tool. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach determined the certainty of evidence. RESULTS: Ten articles were included. Stabilization splints (n = 160 subjects) were reported to be as effective as other treatments (n = 209 patients) on analyzed outcomes (pressure pain threshold, pain during chewing, mouth opening, spontaneous pain intensity and by palpation). Five studies were judged at low and five at some concerns of risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was very low for all outcomes. CONCLUSION: Positive effect on signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders of muscular origin, when managed with stabilization splint, could not be confirmed or refuted.

Prevalence of dentofacial injuries among combat sports practitioners: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Combat sports might result in injuries to the face and teeth. However, it is unclear how often they occur and which sports presents the highest rates. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dentofacial injuries in combat sports participants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review was performed. Six main electronic databases and three grey literature databases were searched. Studies were blindly selected by two reviewers based on pre-defined eligibility criteria. Studies that evaluated the prevalence of dentofacial injuries (teeth, alveolar bone, jaw, lips, and/or cheekbones) among combat sports participants were considered eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. The software r statistics version was used to perform all meta-analyses. Cumulative evidence of the included articles was evaluated using GRADE criteria (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). RESULTS: From 1104 articles found on all databases, 27 were finally included. Eighteen studies were judged at low, seven at moderate, and two at high risk of bias. The following sports were investigated: boxing, capoeira, fencing, jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, kendo, kickboxing, kung fu, muay thai, sumo, taekwondo, wrestling, and wushu. Results from the meta-analysis suggested a dental pooled prevalence of 25.2% (12.3%-40.8%, i2  = 100%) and dentofacial pooled prevalence of 30.3 (18.1%-44.1%, i2  = 100%). Considering the sports' categories individually, jiu-jitsu had the highest pooled prevalence of dentofacial injuries (52.9% [37.9%-67.8%, i2  = 92%]), while judo was the sport with the lowest pooled prevalence (25.0% [7.6%-48.2%, i2  = 98%]). Among Panamerican sports, boxing had the highest prevalence of dental injuries (73.7% [58.7%-86.3%, i2  = 0%]). For dentofacial injuries, the GRADE criteria were considered low. CONCLUSIONS: Overall pooled prevalence of dentofacial injuries in combat sports was approximately 30%. Raising awareness regarding the frequency of these injuries might encourage the use of protective devices and reduce complications related to these incidents.

Prevalence of trigeminal neuralgia: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this systematic review was to answer the focused question, "What are the prevalence and the epidemiological characteristics of trigeminal neuralgia in the general population?" TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: This systematic review included observational population-based studies reporting the prevalence of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The authors developed specific search strategies for LILACS, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The authors evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies using criteria from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. RESULTS: Among 728 studies, the authors selected only 3 for inclusion. Two studies were classified as having low risk of bias and 1 as having moderate risk. The sample size ranged from 1,838 to 13,541 adults. This review identified a higher prevalence of TN in women, ranging from 0.03% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-0.08) to 0.3% (95% CI, 0.16-0.55). The maxillary and mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve were the most affected. The proportion between women and men who had TN was 3 to 1, and those in the age bracket between 37 and 67 years were the most affected. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The authors of this review identified a higher prevalence of TN in women older than 40 years that usually affected the maxillary and mandibular branches. Further research is required to validate the prevalence of TN in a well-structured, population-based study without a convenience sample.