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Published on: June 10, 2013
Sleep Bruxism and Orofacial Pain in Patients with Sleep Disorders: A Controlled Cohort Study
Maria Lavinia Bartolucci1, Serena Incerti Parenti1, Francesco Bortolotti1
1Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40125 Bologna, Italy.
Background:
The gold standard for the diagnosis of sleep bruxism (SB) is laboratory polysomnography (L-PSG) recording. However, many clinicians still define SB using patients' self-assessment and/or clinical tooth wear (TW). The purpose of this cross-sectional controlled study was to compare the prevalence of TW, head-neck muscles sensitivity and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) between SB and non-SB patients diagnosed with L-PSG in a cohort of patient with sleep disorders (SD).
Methods:
102 adult subjects with suspected SD underwent L-PSG recording to assess the presence of sleep disorder and SB. TW was clinically analyzed using TWES 2.0. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) of masticatory muscles were assessed using a Fisher algometer. Diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) were used to evaluate the presence of TMD. SB self-assessment questionnaires were administered. TWES score, PPT, TMD prevalence and questionnaire results were compared between SB and non-SB patients.
Results:
22 SB patients and 66 non-SB patients with SD were included. No significant differences emerged between groups in regards to TW, the PPT values, or SB's self-assessment questionnaires as well the prevalence of TMD.
Conclusion:
in a SD population, TW is not pathognomonic of active SB and SB self-assessment is not reliable. There seems to be no correlation between SB, TMD and head/neck muscle sensitivity.
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