The bruxism construct: From cut-off points to a continuum spectrum

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Current definitions of sleep bruxism (SB) rely on polysomnography (PSG) cut-off points, which have questionable clinical utility for oral health.
• Diagnostic criteria for awake bruxism (AB) are lacking.
• Existing methods may not accurately reflect the risk of negative oral health outcomes associated with bruxism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To argue for a shift from binary (presence/absence) definitions of bruxism to a continuum-based evaluation of jaw motor behaviors.
• To propose strategies for identifying bruxism behaviors that pose a risk to oral health.
• To highlight the need for improved understanding of bruxism epidemiology and variability.

Main Methods:

• Discussion and commentary on current bruxism diagnostic criteria.
• Proposal of goal-oriented strategies for risk assessment.
• Emphasis on the need for epidemiological studies and combined instrumental/non-instrumental approaches.

Main Results:

• The commentary argues that cut-off point definitions for bruxism lack clinical usefulness for oral health outcomes.
• It proposes that evaluating bruxism on a continuum of jaw motor behaviors is necessary.
• It suggests that identifying specific risk factors requires further research into bruxism epidemiology and variability.

Conclusions:

• A continuum-based approach to evaluating bruxism is essential for understanding its impact on oral health.
• Future research should focus on epidemiological studies and combined diagnostic strategies to assess bruxism risks.
• Accurate assessment of bruxism requires considering the full spectrum of jaw motor activity.