Is bruxism a multifactorial pathology in children?

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Bruxism is a parafunction widely reported in children, which can cause myofascial pain, temporomandibular disorders, dental fractures, among others. Nocturnal prevalence varies from 5.9% to 49.6%. This review aims to describe the association between bruxism and temporomandibular disorders in pediatric patients, its association and the importance of etiological treatment. Material and Methods: A bibliographic review was carried out in Pubmed, Scielo, Web of Science and EBSCO platforms to learn about the diagnosis and repercussions of bruxism in children. 344 articles were obtained, selecting 33 of them after applying the criteria of inclusion, exclusion, eliminating repeated, unavailable, age range and year of publication. Results: A muscular association was demonstrated between dental grinding and pain when chewing or opening the mouth, as well as an association between attrition, temporomandibular pain and muscle sensitivity. In addition, a relationship was found between bruxism and disorders of articular origin mainly due to sounds and joint sensitivity. There was also a strong association between headache in children as a consequence of the bruxism they presented. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of bruxism in minors, being the early diagnosis recognized by signs, symptoms and clinical examinations a fundamental step, besides informing the patient about this condition so that they can make a self-report in time, due to the possible complications that it can bring. Currently, its main treatment consists in the management of signs and symptoms.