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Bruxism in Autistic and Neurotypical Children: Associations With Medication Use and Sleep
Pedro Vitali Kammer1, Natalia Goes Nascimento1, Juliana da Silva Moro1
1Deparment of Dentistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Summary
Agitated sleep, not medication, is linked to bruxism (teeth grinding) in children. This association was found in neurotypical children but not autistic children, suggesting different factors may influence teeth grinding in autistic individuals.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is common in children and may be influenced by various factors.
- Understanding the relationship between bruxism, medication, sleep quality, and anxiety is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between medication use, sleep quality, anxiety, and bruxism in autistic and neurotypical children.
- To identify potential differences in these associations between autistic and neurotypical pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study utilizing parent-reported data from 227 children (4-12 years old), including 40 autistic and 187 neurotypical children.
- Multivariable logistic regression was employed to analyze associations with bruxism.
- Stratified and exploratory subgroup analyses were conducted to examine specific populations.
Main Results:
- Agitated sleep was significantly associated with higher odds of bruxism in the overall sample and the neurotypical subgroup.
- Medication use, autism diagnosis, sex, and anxiety were not independently associated with bruxism.
- Increasing age showed an inverse association with bruxism.
Conclusions:
- Agitated sleep is a significant correlate of bruxism in neurotypical children, but this link was not observed in the autistic subgroup.
- Medication use did not demonstrate an association with bruxism in this study.
- Findings should be interpreted with caution due to the study's cross-sectional design, reliance on parent reports, and the characteristics of the autistic subgroup.
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