Is bruxism associated with temporomandibular joint disorders? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this review is to examine and quantify the association between bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorders in a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Electronic searches were performed in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane, Wiley, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for articles published up to March 2022. Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for each study.

Results: The search retrieved 1651 studies, and 20 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. The results of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between bruxism and TMD, with the presence of bruxism increasing the odds of TMD by 2.25 times (OR = 2.25, 95% CI (1.94-2.56)). Based on the type of bruxism, awake bruxism was found to increase the odds of TMD by 2.51 times (OR = 2.51, 95% CI: (2.02-2.99)), while sleep bruxism increased the odds of TMD by 2.06 times (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: (1.82-2.30)). Analysis of the results from studies that reported both types of bruxism showed that bruxism increases the odds of TMD by 2.17 times (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: (2.30-3.05)).

Conclusion: The available data demonstrate a positive relationship between bruxism and TMD, with the presence of bruxism increasing the likelihood of developing TMD in the future.