[Bruxism as a side effect of serotonin re-uptake inhibitors]

The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb received 14 reports on drugs which had teeth grinding as a side effect. The majority of reports (12) concerned selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Several case reports in the literature support the association between using selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and bruxism. Bruxism can be explained by the effect of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on the central dopamine pathway. Because bruxism can cause serious dental attrition, it is important to ask in diagnosis about the use of antidepressants and more specifically about serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.