A study to evaluate psychological and occlusal parameters in bruxism

Area of Science:

• Dental Science
• Psychology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Bruxism, characterized by habitual teeth grinding, is associated with significant dental wear and sensitivity.
• The interplay between psychological factors and occlusal parameters in bruxism remains an area of active investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between anxiety/depression levels and occlusal factors in individuals with bruxism.
• To utilize the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and T-Scan III for evaluating these factors.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 30 bruxism patients (Group Br) and 30 healthy controls (Group NBr).
• Assessment of tooth wear using the Ekfeldt index, and evaluation of anxiety and depression via the HADS questionnaire.
• Digital recording of occlusal parameters, including disclusion time, using T-Scan III.

Main Results:

• Bruxism patients exhibited significantly higher tooth wear index (22.24 ± 11.5) compared to controls (5.17 ± 3.30).
• Group Br reported significantly elevated anxiety (9.03 ± 1.87) and depression scores (8 ± 1.93) versus Group NBr (7.17 ± 1.82 and 6.17 ± 1.23, respectively).
• Mean disclusion time was significantly longer in the bruxism group (0.652 ± 0.749) than in the control group (0.247 ± 0.289, p=0.008).

Conclusions:

• Elevated levels of anxiety and depression are associated with a higher prevalence of bruxism.
• Increased disclusion time, indicative of occlusal dysfunction, may predispose individuals to bruxism.
• These findings suggest a multifactorial etiology for bruxism, involving psychological and biomechanical elements.