Childhood bruxism associated with the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic

a literature review

Abstract

Bruxism is a parafunctional activity, deleterious to the stomatognathic system. It is defined by the repetitive action of the masticatory muscles characterized by clenching or grinding the teeth and/or holding the jaw rigid or moving it intensely. It was observed that the great majority of children presented some behavioral changing during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on children's bruxism. We found in the literature studies relating the most frequent behaviors such as boredom, anxiety, irritation, agitation, fear, stress, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and loss of sleep quality with infantile bruxism. Notably, one can expect that psychological factors associated with the challenges imposed by the pandemic may lead to an increased risk of developing or perpetuating bruxism. Thus, early diagnosis is of fundamental importance in the treatment of infantile bruxism, in which is necessary to pay attention to the signs and symptoms of this parafunction after the pandemic and a joint action by a multidisciplinary team.