Occlusion and disocclusion time analysis in young patients affected by bruxism

Bruxism is an involuntary parafunctional habit performed unconsciously during sleep by the jaw muscles in which the tooth rows are pressed against each other and move horizontally. The symptoms in the oral cavity are slightly elusive which makes it difficult to diagnose.

The aim of this study was to analyze the occlusion and disocclusion times in young adults affected by bruxism compared with healthy subjects.

Thirty-four patients (15 men and 19 women) aged between 20-25 years were included in the study. They were allocated into two groups: group 1 - controls (n=13), and group 2 - patients who reported clenching or grinding their teeth (n=21). The study was conducted using a T-Scan Novus occlusion diagnostic device. The results obtained for the occlusion and disocclusion times were analyzed using the latest version of the T-Scan system software (ver. 9.1). The values for occlusion and disocclusion times of all subjects were recorded in the T-Scan.

The occlusion times in the control group were found to be longer than those in the bruxism group. The disocclusion times of the subjects in group 1 were found to be shorter than those in group 2.

The T-Scan system makes it possible to quantify the occlusion and disocclusion times, which helps to diagnose an initial form of bruxism in individuals at a young age.