Perceived stress and factors associated with bruxism

Family case report

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyze the variables stress, anxiety symptoms and neuroticism traits, in two generations of a family that self-report symptoms of bruxism. The stress scores obtained range from expected to low. The results show a strong and positive correlation in: perception of stress bruxism (rs = .65), and in the sub-scales of sleep bruxism (rs = .66), wakefulness bruxism (rs = .56). As well as between stress and anxiety (rs = .65), neuroticism trait with stress (rs = .74; p = .02) and bruxism with neuroticism (rs = .25). Non-significant correlations are due to the sample size. The score is similar between H5 (mother) and S1 (eldest son); E1 (father) with S2 (son), S3 (youngest son) and H3 (sister), as well as between H1, H2 and H4 (sisters). These results strengthen the association of self-reported bruxism with sensitivity to psychological stress. Although the damage caused by bruxism is related to the time of suffering it and if you clench or grind your teeth, the results obtained in this family show that the higher the bruxism perception score, the higher the psychological variables score.