Pediatric Bruxism and Sleep Disorders Early Detection

Oral parafunction and sleep disorder parasomnia, bruxism involves the dentist and particularly the pediatric dentist to detect in additionto masticatory and occlusal problems, sleep disorders. It is a question of characterizing bruxism in connection with not only dental problems but also sleep disorders. The etiology of bruxism is not formally elucidated, there is however a strong consensus on its multifactorial origin. Bruxism would be caused by central factors (neuropathic or psycho-emotional) involving the central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic (ANS) modulated among other things by sleep and the psychic state. In addition, certain local factors can maintain the parafunction: breathing disorders and sleep parasomnia in particular revealing a pattern of intricate cause-consequences. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between dental and sleep disorder by the same symptom bruxism in children. Bruxism was the reason for consultation of 98 children aged 3-6 years with more or less extensive loss of dental material evolving over several months and repeatedly. The search for self-reported information on behavioral and attention disorders as well as the daytime and nocturnal signs reported by parents suggesting sleep disorders. A polysomnography made, it was possible to confirm the diagnosis and to indicate the severity of the sleep disorder, namelyinsomnia (2%), hypersomnia (4%) circadian rhythm disorders (8%), other parasomnias (16%), and 70% had OSAS with an average AHI of 4.4/h. A statistical association was found between bruxism and OSAS (P<0·001; Chi-square test).