Prevalence of bruxism in Istanbul primary school children and association with the age groups

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this large field study is to investigate the prevalence of an existing association between bruxism according to age groups in primary school children.Methods: The study was performed in four primary schools which were chosen randomly in Kartal, Istanbul. The children‘s parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire that included questions concerning the associated symptoms of bruxism. The interrelations between age groups and bruxism items were examined by chi-square tests.Results: The study population consisted from 1041 (539 boys and 502 girls) primary school children. The children were divided into three groups as 5-7 years old children in Group I (n= 199), 8-10 years old children in Group II (n=452) and 11-14 years old children in Group III (n=390). Prevalence of bruxism in the study sample was found as 240 (23%). There was no statistically significant association between bruxism and gender. In our large field study, bruxism was observed mostly in Group I and the overall prevalence was estimated as 23%.Conclusion: Bruxism is especially seen in children and may lead to serious dental problems if it is left untreated. In our study we found the prevalence of bruxism as 23% at Kartal, Istanbul. As the etiology of bruxism is controversial, further studies are required to clarify the condition.

Keywords

• bruxism
• primary school children
• prevalence