Sleep Bruxism in Children: Prevalence and Multidisciplinary Therapy



Bruxism consists in a movement characterized by tooth grinding, attrition or clenching. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, the bruxism is a movement disturb related to sleep, characterized repeated contractions of the masticatory muscles, resulting in grinding or clenching of the teeth. 

Sleep Bruxism in Children

Although some similarities can be found between wake-time and sleep bruxism, differences related to state of consciousness and oral motor excitability are present. In the wake-time bruxism, the individual is often not aware of the habit, and is frequently related to vicious habit; on the other hand, sleep bruxism is an unconscious activity of clenching or grinding the teeth, producing sounds while the individual is sleeping. In sleep bruxism, there are exacerbated occlusal forces duringthe parafunctional activity in periods of no conscience. These occlusal forces were not inhibited by cortical and subcortical proprioceptive mechanisms and, thus, a lot of signs and symptoms in masticatory system may be observed, possibly because of a higher arousal threshold of tissues.

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