Abstract
Statement of problem
The definition of bruxism has evolved, and the dental profession needs to align with
the terminologies adopted in the current literature of sleep and orofacial pain medicine.
Purpose
The purpose of this review was to discuss the recent evolution of bruxism concepts
and the implications for changing the definition that is currently used by the prosthodontic
community.
Material and methods
A historical perspective on the evolution of the definition of bruxism, as well as
a systematic literature review on the validity of polysomnography (PSG)-based criteria
for sleep bruxism diagnosis to detect the presence of clinical consequences, is presented.
Selected articles were read in a structured Population, Intervention, Comparison,
Outcome (PICO) format to answer the question “If a target population with conditions
such as tooth wear, dental implant complications, and temporomandibular disorders
(P) is diagnosed with sleep bruxism by means of PSG (I) and compared with a population
of nonbruxers (C), is the occurrence of the condition under investigation (that is,
the possible pathologic consequences of sleep bruxism) be different between the 2
groups (O)?”
Results
Eight studies were eligible for the review, 6 of which assessed the relationship between
PSG-diagnosed sleep bruxism and temporomandibular disorder pain, while the other 2
articles evaluated the predictive value of tooth wear for ongoing PSG-diagnosed sleep
bruxism and the potential role of sleep bruxism in a population of patients with failed
dental implants. Findings were contradictory and not supportive of a clear-cut relationship
between sleep bruxism assessed based on available PSG criteria and any clinical consequence.
The literature providing definitions of bruxism as a motor behavior and not pathology
has been discussed.
Conclusions
The bruxism construct has shifted from pathology to motor activity with possibly even
physiological or protective relevance. An expert panel including professionals from
different medical fields published 2 consecutive articles focusing on the definition
of bruxism, as well as an overview article presenting the ongoing work to prepare
a Standardized Tool for the Assessment of Bruxism (STAB) to reflect the current bruxism
paradigm shift from pathology to behavior (that is, muscle activity). As such, dental
practitioners working in the field of restorative dentistry and prosthodontics are
encouraged to appraise this evolution.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 04, 2021
Footnotes
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 by the Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.
