Assessment Of Schoolchildren’s Temporomandibular Joint Sounds Associated With Bruxism

Many studies have explained temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds in children are frequent with TMJ disorder. In addition to multiple divergent findings are designed to evaluate the relationship between bruxism and TMJ disorder in children. Aim: study was designed and conducted to assess the possible relationship between bruxism and joint sounds in schoolchildren. Subjects and Methods: The sample comprised 60 schoolchildren participants between 6 to 10 years of age, of whom 30 children with bruxism as study group G1 and another 30 without bruxism as a control group G2 who were scheduled and randomly selected for treatment at (Outpatient Dental Clinics, Zagazig University Hospital). Examiner performed assessment who was blinded allocation of the groups. Assessment involved of (manual palpation, lateral and dorsal extra-auricular auscultation of TMJ by stethoscope for detecting of joint sounds, differentiating between joint sounds as a click/pop or crepitation) Three readings were performed on each participant. Collected data were checked, entered and statistically analyzed to test different variables by chi-square test with the level of significance (p< 0.05). Results: There were statistically significant association between joint sounds with regarding to bruxism and age, which showed the higher prevalence rates of joint sounds were found in children aged eight to ten years in comparison to those aged sex and seven years. However, there were statistically insignificant association between joints sounds and type in relation to gender. Conclusion: The bruxism in children may be associated with the symptoms of joint sounds with significant association regarding to age. Keywords: Bruxism; Temporomandibular Joint; Child; bruxism; TMJ sound