Bruxism Diagnosis: A Clinical Case Report

Description of the case: A 27-year-old female patient presented to the dentist referring muscular pain regarding the masseter and dental sensitivity. Clinically there was tooth wear on the occlusal surface of the inferior molars, as well as the bicuspids. A questionnaire was also employed beforehand. The clinical features and patient history were compatible with nocturnal bruxism. To confirm this diagnosis first was ordered a polisomnography, then bruxchecker ® and finally portable electromyography using Grindcare®. Discussion: Sleeping bruxism is considered the third most common sleeping disorder. In order to characterize this individual case some diagnostic methods were used. All them diagnosed bruxism. The polysomnographic records were useful to establish the sleeping pattern and arousal periods, as well as to confirm the muscular activity associated with bruxism. Bruxchecker® revealed the specific grinding pattern and teeth involved, and finally, Grindcare® commenced the treatment and established the grinding frequency. The clinical observation and questionnaire were imperative in describing this individual bruxism case. All of the methods employed complemented each other. Conclusions: Despite the different diagnosis methods available today, the diagnosis of bruxism remains controverse due to the fact that a stand-alone method for its definite diagnosis is still lacking. The combination of these different methods proved to be effective in this clinical case as each of them hinted out something different and allowed the clinician to understand the situation as a whole. Keywords: bruxism, grindcare, bruxchecker, polysomnography