STRESS-RELATED BRUXISM IN DENTAL MEDICINE STUDENTS
Keywords:
bruxism, occlusal interferences, dental splints, grinding teethAbstract
Authors define stress as a negative stimulus and a concomitant reaction that includes components of
physiological and psychological type, affecting the normal functioning of the human being. Bruxism is a wellstudied,
parafunctional, repetitive activity of the mandible, during which patients unconsciously grind, gnash or
clench with their teeth. When teeth are clenched, a static relation between the maxilla and the mandible is observed.
When patients grind with their teeth, clinicians find dynamic maxillo-mandibular relationship. Bruxism is classified
as awake and sleep, rhythmic and non-rhythmic, primary and secondary. Etiology of bruxism is multifactorial.
Contributing factors for the condition are anxiety, depression and stress situations, malocclusions and interferences
with occlusion, as well as pathophysiological, psychological and genetic determinants. Diagnosis of bruxism is done
through patient’s subjective report, clinical intraoral examination, the usage of trial dental splints (bruxing checkers),
electrophysiological tools. Management of bruxism is not a straightforward task to complete, providing the fact that
clinical practice lacks a solution which can permanently stop the condition. A variety of methods are known –
medications prescription, dental occlusal splints and obstructive sleep apnea mandibular advancement devices
(MADs) usage, psychological approaches, changing bad sleep habits and improving sleep hygiene, lowering or
cessation of alcohol, tobacco and coffee consumption. Students of dental medicine, irrespective of the country they
study in, especially those who are in their clinical cycle, participate in high demand situations that generate states of
stress and anxiety. Teams of clinicians have studied the onset and consequences of bruxism in those clinical groups.
The aim of the following publication is to study the correlation between anxiety and stress in dental medicine
students, the frequency of bruxism events, gender and age distribution.
In order to fulfil the aims of the study, a standard questionnaire (American Association of Sleep Medicine), related
to bruxism symptoms, was distributed among dental medicine students. All participants signed written informed
consent forms and underwent thorough intraoral analysis of occlusion. The results from the questionnaire were
analyzed.
Stress is one of the main factors for bruxism and has shown a strong correlation with it. Careful and timely measures
should be undertaken to alleviate the symptoms. Improper clinical approaches can cause temporomandibular
disorders.
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