Common therapeutic approaches in sleep and awake bruxism — an overview

Bruxism, a common medical condition characterised by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible, can occur during sleep, when it is known as sleep bruxism (SB), or during wakefulness, when it is known as awake bruxism (AB). Although bruxism often causes headaches, temporomandibular joint pain, masticatory muscle pain, mechanical tooth wear, prosthodontic complications and cracked teeth, there is still not enough data to define and support a standardised approach to its treatment. The aim of this review was to present the pathophysiology, consequences, types and treatment methods of bruxism in order to increase readers’ knowledge of this topic. Differences between awake and nocturnal bruxism are included, as well as risk factors and indicators visible during the clinical examination of affected patients. Among the causes we consider are genetics, stress, oral parafunctions and changes in the Central Nervous System (CNS). Potential and common methods of treatment are presented, along with suggested guidelines that should be followed when determining an appropriate treatment method. We draw attention to the notably dynamic development of bruxism in today’s society and the importance of informational and preventive projects, especially those targeted at high-risk patients as well as those targeted at specialists, in order to better tackle the bruxism ‘epidemic’

Gender-Related Biomechanical Properties of Masseter Muscle among Patients with Self-Assessment of Bruxism: A Comparative Study

It seems extremely important to know the biomechanical properties of the orofacial tissues among patients with increased activity of masticatory muscles, such as bruxism. The aim of this study was to evaluate biomechanical properties of the masseter muscle by using MyotonPRO in adults with probable bruxism and to define gender relations. This study was conducted in the Temporomandibular Disorders Department at Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland (June 2021–November 2021) among patients that reported bruxism symptoms The patients underwent a clinical examination, then the biomechanical properties of the masseter muscles were assessed. The MyotonPro measured masseter tone, stiffness and elasticity in 36 patients with a self-assessment of bruxism (18 women and 18 men). Data were collected from relaxed and contracted muscles. In relaxed masseter muscles there were no statistically significant differences between the sexes in muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity. During contraction significant differences were found between the sexes in the tension and the stiffness of the masseter muscles. Moreover, women often experienced headaches in the temporal region and pain in the masseter muscles during palpation. Among patients with a self-assessment of bruxism, accompanying pain was significantly more frequent in women. Male gender was associated with increased muscle tension and stiffness of the contracted masseter muscle