Association between polysomnographic parameters of sleep bruxism and attrition-type tooth wear

Clinically, sleep bruxism is considered to be associated with the presence of tooth wear, but strong evidence is still lacking.

To examine whether an association exists between polysomnographic parameters, recorded from patients with possible sleep bruxism and tooth wear.

Sixty-three possible sleep bruxers (19 males and 44 females, mean ± SD age = 38.5 ± 11.4 years) were recruited among patients attending the Clinic for orofacial pain and dysfunction of the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA). The incisal/occlusal tooth wear was recorded for each tooth clinically, using a 5-point ordinal scale. Subsequently, all patients underwent an one-night ambulatory polysomnographic recording, during which the number of bruxism episodes per hour of sleep (Epi/h), the number of bruxism bursts per hour of sleep (Bur/h), and the bruxism time index (BTI) were recorded and analysed. Logistic regression analysis was performed using the presence of tooth wear as the dependent variable, the polysomnographic recordings as independent variables, and corrected for age and gender. The Bur/h and BTI were removed from the analyses due to collinearity with the Epi/h. Additionally, the polysomnographic recordings were also tested for possible association with self-reported grinding of the teeth during sleep.

No significant correlation was found between tooth wear and Epi/h (P = 0.381). In addition, the presence of tooth wear was not associated with self-reported parafunctions.

Clinically measured tooth wear and self-reported parafunction seem not be related to the polysomnographic parameters of possible sleep bruxism.