Bruxismo en niños y adolescentes: Revisión de la literatura

Abstract

Bruxism is defined as a repetitive activity of the chewing muscles characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by striking and swinging the jaw. It is of multifactorial etiology and it is considered that there is a physiological bruxism necessary for the development of the face of children. These two aspects complicate the diagnosis that is fundamentally based on a questionnaire to the parents and on the clinical examination of the child. When the physiological wear does not differentiate in time from the parafunctional wear, it has negative consequences in the child that alter their quality of life, requiring an adequate multidisciplinary management. Considering that it is necessary to know the fundamental characteristics of bruxism in children and adolescents, the objective of this review article is to update its circadian manifestations, classifications, prevalence, etiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment that will serve the dentist for the early identification and treatment.