Risk factors for sleep bruxism in the general population

Objective: Sleep bruxism can have a significant effect on the patient's qua lity of life. It may also be associated with a number of disorders. However , little is known about the epidemiology of sleep bruxism and its risk fact ors in the general population. Design: Cross-sectional telephone survey using the Sleep-EVAL, knowledge ba sed system. Settings: Representative samples of three general populations (United Kingd om, Germany, and Italy) consisting of 158 million inhabitants. Participants: Thirteen thousand fifty-seven subjects aged greater than or e qual to 15 years (United Kingdom, 4,972 subjects; Germany, 4,115 subjects; and Italy, 3,970 subjects). Intervention: None. Measurements: Clinical questionnaire on bruxism (using the International Cl assification of Sleep Disorders [ICSD] minimal set of criteria) with an inv estigation of associated pathologies tie, sleep, breathing disorders, and p sychiatric and neurologic pathologies). Results: Grinding of teeth during sleep occurring at least weekly was repor ted by 8.2% of the subjects, and significant consequences from teeth grindi ng during sleep tie, muscular discomfort on awakening, disturbing tooth gri nding, or necessity of dental work) were found in half of these subjects. M oreover, 4.4% of the population fulfilled the criteria of ICSD sleep bruxis m diagnosis. Finally, subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 1.8), loud snorers (OR, 1.4), subjects with moderate daytime sl eepiness (OR, 1.3), heavy alcohol drinkers (OR, 1.8), caffeine drinkers (OR , 1.4), smokers (OR, 1.3), subjects with a highly stressful life (OR, 1.3), and those with anxiety (OR, 1.3) are at higher risk of reporting sleep bru xism. Conclusions: Sleep bruxism is common in the general population and represen ts the third most frequent parasomnia. It has numerous consequences, which are not limited to dental or muscular problems. Among the associated risk f actors, patients with anxiety and sleep-disordered breathing have a higher number of risk factors for sleep bruxism, and this must raise concerns abou t the future of these individuals. An educational effort to raise the aware ness of dentists and physicians about this pathology is necessary.