Sleep bruxism (SB) is defined as the activity of masticatory muscles during sleep, characterised as rhythmic or non- rhythmic and which in otherwise healthy individuals is not a movement or a sleep disorder. Causal factors include 1) Biological factors; neurotransmitters, genetics and sleep arousals, 2) Psychological factors; stress sensitivity, anxiety and personality and 3) Exogenous factors; smoking, alcohol, medications and drugs. SB can lead to significant clinical consequences in terms of damage to teeth, hard tissues, and oral mucosa, a spectrum of temporomandibular disturbances, orofacial pain, and headache. The degree of teeth wear is usually not commensurate with the severity of bruxism. As a condition occurring during sleep, SB can either occur as an isolated behavior or co-occur with sleep disorders, impacting on sleep quality.
Reference:
Joanna Smardz, Helena Martynowicz, Anna Wojakowska, Orit Winocur- Arias, Monika Michalek-Zrabkowska, Grzegorz Mazur & Mieszko Wieckiewicz (2020): A polysomnographic study on the relationship between sleep bruxism intensity and sleep quality, CRANIO®, DOI: 10.1080/08869634.2020.1716466 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08869634.2020.1716466. Published online: 22 Jan 2020.
