Cervical column posture and airway dimensions in clinical bruxist adults: a preliminary study.

The aim of this study was to compare the cervical column posture and the upper airway dimensions between sleep bruxist and non-bruxist young adults. Twenty-three sleep-grinders and 22 asymptomatic subjects, selected according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criteria (report by a sleep partner and the presence of dental wear, according to Wetselaar et al.), were evaluated. The mean age was 23·8 years (range 18-30). All the subjects had complete permanent dentition and skeletal and occlusal class I. A digital cephalometric radiograph with natural head posture was performed for each subject. The craniocervical posture was traced and evaluated according to Solow and Tallgren, and the airway dimensions of the oropharynx and nasopharynx were evaluated in agreement with Sayinsu. The data were analysed with independent-samples t-tests and Mann-Whitney U-test. Significance was set at P < 0·05. Sleep bruxist young adults presented more forwarded cervical column posture and narrower measures of the oropharynx, when compared with controls (P < 0·05). As in children, anterior cervical column posture was found to be associated with sleep bruxism.

Awareness of tooth grinding and clenching from adolescence to young adulthood: a nine-year follow-up.

How bruxism develops from adolescence to early adulthood remains unclear. A previous database was revisited to evaluate the natural course of self-reported tooth grinding and clenching among young Finns aged 14-23 using four assessments. Overall, the self-reported frequencies of both grinding and clenching increased during the examination period: from 13.7% to 21.7% and from 9.2% to 14.8%, respectively. There were significant increases (without a statistically significant difference between genders) in both grinding (P = 0.002) and clenching (P = 0.015) between 15 and 23 years. A significant rise in grinding between 18 and 23 years was also found (P = 0.011). It is concluded that self-reported bruxism increases from adolescence to young adulthood. Moreover, there are large differences between individuals, and fluctuations may occur in the natural course of bruxism.

Effect of awareness through movement on the head posture of bruxist children.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy to improve the head posture and reduce the signs of bruxism in a group of bruxist children. A single-blind randomized clinical trial was performed. All the subjects were 3- to 6-year old, had complete primary dentition, dental and skeletal class I occlusion and were classified as bruxist according to the minimal criteria of the ICSD for bruxism. For each child, a clinical, photographic and radiographic evaluation of the head and cervical posture were realized with standardized techniques. The children were randomized in an experimental (n = 13) and a control (n = 13) group. A physiotherapeutic intervention was applied to the children of the experimental group once a week, until 10 sessions were completed. Afterwards, the cephalogram and the clinical and photographic evaluation of the head posture were measured again. The data were analysed with the t-test and Mann-Whitney test. The subjects of the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in the natural head posture. The physiotherapeutic intervention showed to be efficient to improve the head posture at the moment of measurement in the studied children. The relationship between bruxism and head posture, if exists, seems to be worthwhile to examine.

Personality traits and temporomandibular disorders in a group of children with bruxing behaviour.

The aim of the present study was to compare the personality pattern, the anxiety level and the temporomandibular disorders (TMD) between bruxist and non-bruxist children with mixed dentition. Fifty-two subjects, with a mean age of 9.45 years (range 8-11) were evaluated and classified as bruxist (n = 26), according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the presence of dental wear clinically visible, under the same conditions of artificial light and position. The control children (n = 26) did not present dental wear and did not accomplished all the AASM criteria. The personality pattern and the anxiety of the bruxist children were studied by means of the Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ) and the Conners' Parents Rating Scales (CPRS), respectively, and compared with the personality traits and the anxiety level of a non-bruxist population. The TMD were also evaluated using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) criteria. The data were analysed with the student's t-test, Fisher's exact test and chi-squared tests. A multivariated analysis was performed using a logistic regression with the stepwise likelihood ratio method. Compared with the controls, the bruxist children had significantly higher tension personality and were more anxiety prone. The bruxist children presented more TMD-related signs and symptoms than children in the control group. A strong correlation was found among bruxism, TMD, the high anxiety level and the high tension personality trait.

Palate morphology of bruxist children with mixed dentition. A pilot study.

The objective of the study was to analyse quantitatively palatal morphology in bruxist and non-bruxist children with mixed dentition. Twenty-three children with mixed dentition were classified as bruxist according to their anxiety level, audible occlusal sounds related by the parents and signs of temporomandibular disorders; 23 children were control subjects matched for gender, age, and dental formula. The maxillary dental arches of all subjects were reproduced from alginate impressions cast in dental stone with a standardized technique. The casts were digitalized and mathematical equations were used to obtain the form of the palate in the sagittal, frontal and horizontal planes. Bruxist children had a statistically significant longer palate in the sagittal plane than control children; palatal shape differed especially in correspondence of the third, fourth and fifth teeth, bruxist children showing a relatively higher palate than control children. In this pilot study, sagittal plane differences in the palate between bruxist and non-bruxist children matched for age and gender were found. Further investigations are needed to understand better the clinical implications of the findings. Results should be taken into account in the diagnosis of the occlusal development in children with parafunctions to prevent future abnormalities: a bruxist child may have bigger dental arches than a normal child.

Head posture and dental wear evaluation of bruxist children with primary teeth.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the present study was to compare the head position and dental wear of bruxist and non-bruxist children with primary dentition. METHODS: All the subjects had complete primary dentition, dental and skeletal class I occlusion and were classified as bruxist or non-bruxist according to their anxiety level, bruxism described by their parents and signs of temporomandibular disorders. The dental wear was drawn in dental casts and processed in digital format. Physiotherapeutic evaluation and a cephalometric radiograph with natural head position were also performed for each child to evaluate the cranio-cervical position for the bruxist group (n = 33) and the control group (n = 20). The variables of the two groups were compared, using the Student t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: A more anterior and downward head tilt was found in the bruxist group, with statistically significant differences compared with the controls. More significant dental wear was observed in the bruxist children. CONCLUSIONS: Bruxism seems to be related to altered natural head posture and more intense dental wear. Further studies are necessary to explore bruxism mechanisms.

Effects of psychological techniques on bruxism in children with primary teeth.

Four main causes of bruxism have been studied - high anxiety level, malocclusion, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and oral habits. Effective dental treatment for this problem is unknown in children with primary teeth, although, high prevalence has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of psychological techniques in children with bruxism. A total of 33 children, 3-6 years of age with normal occlusal features, without oral habits, rate in the Conners' parent rating scales (CPRS) and more than 0.75% in Conners' teacher rating scales (CTRS), and one or more temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders registered in the Bernal and Tsamtsouris examination, were selected from 188 children. Two psychological techniques, 'directed muscular relaxation' and 'competence reaction', were applied for 6 months. The results were analysed with a Wilcoxon rank sum test. All patients reduced their anxiety level and TMJ disorders, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The psychological techniques were effective in the reduction of signs of bruxism in children with primary teeth.