The Relationship Between Bruxism and Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction in 7-11 Year Old Children

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate relation between bruxism and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction in 7-11 year old children. Persons and Methods: Signs and/or symptoms were defined by being performed TMJ examination of 828 children between ages of 7-11 and TMJ dysfunction were diagnosed in case of presence of anyone of these. The children were interviewed for bruxism and the questionnaires answered by the p arents were evaluated forbruxism diagnosis. Results: TMJ dysfunction was determined for 332 children, who was examined and bruxism was identified for 58 children. There was no statistically significant relationship between TMJ sounds, TMJ tenderness, muscle tenderness, restricted mouth opening and bruxism (p 0,05) and there was no statistically significant relationship between pain symptom during opening mouth or mastication and bruxism (p 0,05). Only, bruxism was observed statistically associated with sound symptom during opening mouth or mastication (p 0,05). In addition to this, difference between girls and boys having TMJ dysfunction and bruxism was not statistically significant (p 0,05). Conclusion: It is concluded that bruxism seem to do not play a role in the development of TMJ dysfunction in children between the ages of 7-11.