Prevalence of Sleep Bruxism and Respiratory Disorders in Schoolchildren Aged 8 - 11 Years in Kerman, Iran: Pre-COVID Pandemic Phase

Background: Bruxism is a parafunctional oral activity defined as excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. This disorder causes damage to the teeth and deforms them. Objectives: This is the first phase of the sleep bruxism and respiratory disorders assessment study in Kerman, Iran, which evaluated respiratory disorders and sleep bruxism in schoolchildren aged 8 - 11 years between 2018 - 2019. Methods: A total of 573 primary school students aged 8 - 11 years were recruited for this cross-sectional study in Kerman between 2018 - 2019. The subjects were chosen randomly from 20 schools located throughout the city. Following permission from officials, 30 students from each school were admitted to the study randomly. The parents were invited to fill out a checklist that included a history of respiratory and sleep problems and signs of bruxism or abnormal jaw movements. Additionally, an examination was performed, and the symptoms of bruxism, such as tooth wear and restoration fractures, were documented. Results: The parents of 573 children were recruited to the study. The prevalence of bruxism and respiratory diseases was observed to be 20.6% (n = 118) and 26.5% (n = 152), respectively. The children with sound production had 2.3 times higher odds of bruxism prevalence than those without sound production (P = 0.004). However, children with temporomandibular joint and paranasal sinus sensitivity had 4.5 (P = 0.001) and 3.8 (P = 0.001) times higher odds, respectively. Additionally, the odds of bruxism prevalence were 1.4 times higher in children with respiratory disorders than those without (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Bruxism was common in children who had a respiratory disorder. Given the potential impact of bruxism on children’s dental health, it is important to pay special attention to the health status of children with respiratory disorders.