Polysomnographic Study of the Prevalence of Sleep Bruxism in a Population Sample

The goal of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of sleep bruxism (sb) in the general population using a representative sample of 1,042 individuals who answered questionnaires and underwent polysomnography (psg) examinations. after psg,the individuals were classified into 3 groups: absence of sb,low-frequency sb,and high-frequency sb. the results indicated that the prevalence of sb,indicated by questionnaires and confirmed by psg,was 5.5%. with psg used exclusively as the criterion for diagnosis,the prevalence was 7.4% regardless of sb self-reported complaints. with questionnaires alone,the prevalence was 12.5%. of the 5.5% (n = 56) with confirmed sb,26 were classified as low-frequency sb,and 30 as high-frequency. the episodes of sb were more frequent in stage 2 sleep,and the phasic bruxism events were more frequent than tonic or mixed events in all sleep stages in individuals with sb. a positive association was observed between sb and insomnia,higher degree of schooling,and a normal/overweight body mass index (bmi). these findings demonstrate the prevalence of sb in a population sampled by psg,the gold standard methodology in the investigation of sleep disorders,combined with validated questionnaires (clinicaltrials.gov,nct00596713). © 2013,international & american associations for dental research. all rights reserved.