Sleep bruxism in children: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep bruxism in children not only damages their teeth and joints, but also affects their overall well-being. Objective: To analyze the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep bruxism in children from a pediatric dental perspective. Methodology: PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar databases were reviewed to find recent articles published on sleep bruxism in children with the following keywords: "sleep bruxism", "childen”, “etiology", "diagnosis ", "treatment " and "epidemiology". Results: Sleep bruxism is a complex disorder with multiple etiological factors, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the dopamine D2 receptor influencing eating and screen use, genetics leaving much to be desired and requiring further research, and stress and anxiety not acting in isolation. Prevalence in children is 13% to 49% and in adolescents 22.2%. Clinical evaluation is essential for proper diagnosis and medical history. The most promising treatment is medication, although its long-term use can be harmful. Conclusion: Sleep bruxism is a complex disorder that affects many people and has multifactorial causes, including biological and psychosocial factors. Despite advances in our understanding of it, the treatment of bruxism remains a challenge. Current therapeutic options, such as pharmacology, occlusal splints, and botulinum toxin, offer limited benefits and often require repeated treatments.