Association between gastroesophageal reflux and bruxism: a scoping and bibliometric review

This review summarizes the literature on association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bruxism. A systematic search was performed in June 2024 and updated in October 2025 across electronic databases (MedLine/PubMed, LILACS/BBO, SciELO, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science) and grey literature (OpenGrey, ProQuest, and LIVIVO). Case reports, clinical trials, and observational studies addressing the GERD-bruxism association in individuals of any age without systemic diseases, syndromes, or neuromotor disorders were included. Study selection and data extraction were independently conducted by two reviewers. Twenty-two articles met inclusion: six case reports, six cross-sectional studies, four case-control studies, and six clinical trials, totaling 15,889 participants (73.4% women; mean age 44.5 years). All but three cross-sectional studies reported an association between GERD and bruxism. Clinical studies have consistently demonstrated that esophageal acidification, whether experimentally induced or present in patients with GERD, increases the hourly frequency of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA), short bursts and RMMA with grinding. Two clinical trials that tested proton pump inhibitors observed a reduced RMMA frequency. One clinical study assessed awake bruxism, and two observational studies assessed sleep bruxism. Bibliometric analysis identified 9 author clusters and 17 collaboration networks, with research concentrated in Japan but showing marked global growth from 2018 to 2025. Bruxism and GERD showed a positive association. However, methodological heterogeneity and numerous confounders prevented robust evidence and limited the clinical inference. Bibliometric analysis shows that research remains centered in Japan but is expanding globally, reflecting growing interdisciplinary interest and the need for greater international and methodological integration.