INTRODUCTION:Bruxism is a common condition in the pediatric dentistry clinics; it is reported more frequently in children than in adults and has different effects on a person's quality of life.
OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sleep bruxism and associated factors among (4-6) years-old preschool children of Tanta city.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:The work was a cross sectional observational design. The sample consisted of 1000 four to six years old children attending public and private kindergarten in Tanta city. Data was collected through a parent/ guardian based questionnaire and clinical inspection of participating children that was done by the same inspector.
RESULTS:The results of the work revealed that the prevalence of sleep bruxism among the sample children was 17.6%. There were significant differences regarding family history of sleep bruxism, presence of newborn and gastro-intestinal disorders. A relationship between bruxism and nail/tongue biting, mouth breathing and sleep with hand on face was found in addition to TMJ disorders. Also, by doing regression test analysis gastro-intestinal disorders, family history of sleep bruxism and molar relation as distal relation was found to be the most affecting variable to bruxism. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sleep bruxism among a sample of preschool children was 17.6%. There was no significant difference between gender, age and bruxism, but there was a significant relation between presence of new born, gastro intestinal disorder and bruxism. The feeding way either normal or artificial had no relation to sleep bruxism. There was a relationship between sleep bruxism and nail-biting habit, mouth breathing, tongue biting and sleep with hand on face. There was no significant correlation between bruxism and occlusion except with molar relation. TMD had significant correlation with bruxism.