Clinical signs of awake bruxism are higher in psychiatric patients

Bruxism is a masticatory muscle activity that can occur during sleep and/or wakefulness, characterized by repetitive or sustained tooth contact and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible. Aim: Evaluate the prevalence of probable awake bruxism (PAB) and its association with signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in psychiatric patients. Methods: The sample was comprised of 123 participants of both genders, between 18 and 65 years old. Of these 73 were inpatients at 3 psychiatric hospitals (experimental group) and 50 healthy individuals (control group). All of them were evaluated through a clinical inspection, to observe the presence of clinical signs of bruxism (tooth wear, buccal and labial mucosa and/or tongue indentations, masseter muscle hypertrophy) and a questionnaire to assess the presence of TMD signs and symptoms. Information about current use of medication and reason for hospitalization were also collected. Results: There was no statistical difference regarding the prevalence of probable awake bruxism between experimental (85%) and control (74%) groups. However, a higher prevalence of clinical signs of bruxism and TMD signs and symptoms was observed in psychiatric patients diagnosed with probable awake bruxism. For the experimental group, the association of PAB with the reason for hospitalization and the use of psychotropic drugs were not statistically significant. The presence of masseter hypertrophy, tongue indentation, buccal mucosa indentation, tooth wear and TMD signs and symptoms appears to be associated with the presence of PAB and psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: The prevalence of awake bruxism in psychiatric patients about 85%. The presence of TMD signs and symptoms appears to be associated with the presence of PAB in psychiatric patients.