The bruxism paradigm in the absence of teeth: observational cross-sectional study in full denture users

HIGHLIGHTS

• A significant proportion of denture wearers are likely to have bruxism.

• Dental clenching is the main complaint of complete denture wearers.

• Wear on the prostheses is the main clinical manifestation.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Bruxism is defined as an activity of the masticatory muscles, which is independent of the teeth presence, so it can occur in total edentulous patients and users of dental prostheses. In this sense, It is therefore necessary to know the clinical manifestations of bruxism in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical manifestation and the presence of probable sleep and awake bruxism in a sample of users of full dentures treated at a teaching dental clinic in the city of Ribeirão Preto/SP.

METHODS:

The adopted sample consisted of 30 patients (mean age 72 years, 18 women/12 men). The following questionnaires were used to assess probable bruxism: Oral Behavior Checklist (OBC), Questionnaire of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AADO) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The clinical assessment included the identification of wear on the prostheses, tongue indentations, bitten cheek and sensitivity in the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joints. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS:

The average of use of the dentures were nine years. Six patients (20%) reported self-perceived sleep bruxism, and 11 (36%) reported self-perceived awake bruxism. OBC showed an average total score of 9.8 ± 6.2, with “teeth clenching” being the most described symptom. DASS-21 presented an average of 16.5, and stress, anxiety and depression were within normal limits. The most commonly reported symptoms in the AADO were headache, neck pain, pain and/or difficulty during jaw function and recent trauma to the head, neck or jaws. In the clinical evaluation, 15 (50%) patients had wear on prosthesis, only 2 (6%) had bitten cheek, none had tongue indentations, 4 (13%) had pain during palpation.

CONCLUSION:

Despite the limitations of the study (cross-sectional, small sample and absence of instrumental evaluation of bruxism), it is possible to conclude that a significant portion of users of total dentures presented probable bruxism, with tooth clenching being the main report and wear on the prosthesis the main clinical manifestation.

Keywords:
Bruxism; Complete denture; Edentulous mouth