Evaluation of the relationship between the presence of Bruxism in child patients and family functioning, awareness, life satisfaction, and stress situations, determination of etiological factors, and examination of clinical findings

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the presence of bruxism in children and family functioning, awareness, life satisfaction, and stress levels, to determine the etiological factors, and to examine the clinical findings. The study included children aged 8-11 years who were diagnosed with bruxism and their parents, all of whom applied to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry Faculty of Dentistry, Süleyman Demirel University and provided written informed consent. Intraoral and extraoral examinations were conducted on the children, and the presence of dental caries and tooth wear was assessed using the DMFT/DMFS, dft/dfs indices and the Tooth Wear Index (TWI). Parents completed an information form, and the McMaster Family Assessment Device, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Parental Stress Scale were administered. The Perceived Stress Scale for Children was used to evaluate the children's stress levels. The collected data were statistically analyzed. The study included a total of 82 children with a mean age of 9.13 ± 1.00 years, comprising 34 girls (41.5%) and 48 boys (58.5%). Parents reported the presence of frequent or regular tooth grinding sounds during sleep in all children (100.0%). In terms of parental awareness, 51.2% stated that they were familiar with bruxism, while 35.4% identified psychological factors as a possible cause. Dentists were the most frequently preferred professionals for help, reported by 42.7% of parents. Among the extraoral findings in children, palpation revealed tenderness in the masseter and temporalis muscles, and temporomandibular joint in 13.4%, and 7.3% of children were reported to have morning jaw muscle pain or fatigue. No temporal headache, limitation in mouth opening, or pain during lateral or protrusive mandibular movements were observed. Intraoral findings included tongue scalloping (29.3%), linea alba on the cheek (9.8%), and gingival recession (1.2%). The mean TWI score indicating tooth wear was 4.70±3.37, and wear was detected in 69.5% of children. The mean values of the dft, dfs, DMFT, and DMFS indices were 6.24±3.41, 12.72±8.79, 1.73±1.72, and 2.30±2.53, respectively. In more than half of the families of children with bruxism (54.88%), family functioning was found to be impaired. The mean score of the Children's Perceived Stress Scale was 21.05±4.93, indicating high stress levels among children with bruxism. The mean score of the Parental Stress Scale was 26.10±6.80, suggesting a low-to-moderate level of stress among parents of children with bruxism. The mean score on the Satisfaction with Life Scale was 15.39, indicating a moderate level of life satisfaction among parents. In children with bruxism, frequently observed intraoral and extraoral findings are accompanied by high levels of stress, poor family functioning, and low parental awareness. These findings underscore the necessity of integrating both psychosocial and clinical approaches in the management of pediatric bruxism. Keywords: Bruxism, Parental Awareness, Family Functioning, Stress Level, Life Satisfaction