Bruxism: an orthodontist's perspective

The aim of the present manuscript is to give a narrative overview for clinicians summarizing the knowledge concerning a phenomenon that they may frequently come across in both children and adults: sleep (SB) and awake (AB) bruxism. Indeed, prevalence rates in adults range from 8% to 16% for SB and 22% to 30% for AB, whilst in children they raise up to 40%. The complex relationship between bruxism, the most common underlying primary and/or comorbid conditions, and the potential clinical consequences for both AB and SB in children and adults will be considered. In addition, in view of the fact that over the last few decades the demand for orthodontic treatment at all ages has increased, the correlation between bruxism-related masseter muscle activity (MMA) and the use of orthodontic appliances (i.e., fixed appliances and clear aligners) is also discussed, along with the proposal of some clinical recommendations.