Evaluation of Laser acupuncture versus Physical Therapy Intervention in Management of Bruxism in Children. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Objective Comparison between different treatment modalities of bruxism in children and evaluating if treatment has an impact on management of bruxism. Research question: Whether management of bruxism in children has a value on its progress or not and which modality is the best for its management Bruxism is a predominant parafunctional behavior in children which involved in development of tempro-mandibular disease and myofacial pain. Bruxism is classified into; sleep and awake bruxism or: primary and secondary types. The habit is characterized by decrease in mouth opening, pain and increased activity of muscles of mastication and loud sound during sleep. Ways of management include sleep hygiene, low level laser and physical therapy. The aim of the this study is to evaluate changes in pain, mouth opening and muscle activity in children with bruxism after using laser acupuncture versus relaxation technique as a physical therapy intervention. Materials and Methods: Twenty four children (6-12 years) with history of teeth-grinding were randomly allocated to 3 groups of 8 individuals each: Group 1: laser acupuncture, Group 2: Physical therapy and Group 3: Control. At baseline and after 2 months, maximum mouth opening, Visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain of the tempro-mandibular joint and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was recorded. Results: laser and physical therapy groups showed significant statistical difference in pain (VAS) reduction maximum mouth opening and (MVC) compared to control group. Conclusion: Laser and physical therapy are good options to treat SB in children than sleep hygiene. Clinical relevance: Evaluating both the clinical importance of treating bruxism in children and to determine which approach offers the greatest benefit