Assessment of awake bruxism by a novel bruxism screener and ecological momentary assessment among patients with masticatory muscle myalgia and healthy controls

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundBruxism is a masticatory muscle activity occurring during sleep or wakefulness, involving grinding and clenching of teeth and/or jaw bracing. As yet, the aetiology, epidemiology and consequences of awake bruxism (AB) are largely unknown.ObjectivesThe aims of the study were to AB behaviours using a novel bruxism screener (BruxScreen) questionnaire part and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; BruxApp©) on AB behaviours, and to investigate AB's prevalence among masticatory muscle myalgia patients and non‐patients.MethodsAltogether, 115 participants (masticatory myalgia patients referred to a specialist clinic (n = 67) and non‐patients (n = 46)) filled in a bruxism screener questionnaire to report bruxism behaviours and jaw symptoms. A selection of both groups did a week‐long EMA (patients n = 12, non‐patients n = 11) to report AB behaviours. The chi‐squared test was used to determine group differences in categorical variables. A logistic regression model was fitted to study the probability of AB.ResultsAccording to BruxScreen, bruxism behaviours and jaw symptoms were more frequent in patients than in non‐patients (p < .001). Based on EMA, 14.6% of the behaviour in patients was tooth clenching; for non‐patients, this was 0.5% (p < .000). Relaxed muscles were reported by patients and non‐patients at 20.6% and 56.4%, respectively (p < .021). Logistic regression, adjusted by age and sex, revealed that patients reported AB 5 times more often than non‐patients (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.1–11.2).ConclusionAwake bruxism behaviours are significantly more frequent in masticatory muscle myalgia patients than non‐patients and associate with frequent bruxism‐related symptoms. Self‐reported teeth clenching seems to be the most significant sign of AB behaviour.