Dental practitioner approaches to bruxism: Preliminary findings from the national dental practice-based research network

Objective: Bruxism is a repetitive masticatory muscle activity. This study investigates dental practitioners’ approaches to bruxism assessment and treatment in practices. Methods: A brief 5 question questionnaire (“Quick Poll”) on bruxism was conducted. Results: A total of 397 practitioners responded. More than half (55%) initiated treatment for bruxism on one to three patients per month. The majority believed that stress (97%) and sleep patterns (82%) affected bruxism in their patients. Interestingly, 96% offered an occlusal guard/appliance and 46% made occlusal adjustments. Conclusion: This study highlights inconsistencies in practitioner approaches to bruxism assessment and management in clinical settings, suggesting gaps in practitioner knowledge evidenced by the varied responses. Abbreviations: PBRN - Practice-Based Research Network MMA - Masticatory muscle activity SB - Sleep bruxism AB - Awake bruxism TMJ - Temporomandibular joint OSA - Obstructive sleep apnea.