Knowledge of parents/caregivers about bruxism in children treated at the pediatric dentistry clinic

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the knowledge on bruxism among parents/caregivers of children treated at the pediatric dentistry clinic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 103 parents/caregivers that filled out a questionnaire based on the criteria of the American Association of Sleep Medicine during the dental care offered to their children. The questionnaire addressed demographic issues of the child and caregiver, issues related to child's sleep characteristics (duration, quality and whether he/she sleeps alone) and questions about bruxism (knowledge of the parafunctional habit, bruxism in the caregiver and the child, search for treatment, causes and consequences of bruxism, and whether the caregivers wanted more information on the subject). Pearson's χ2 test and Fisher's exact test were performed (α = 5%). RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent reported knowing what bruxism is and 52.4% correctly described the parafunctional habit. Regarding the cause, 74.8% were unable to say and 16.5% associated the habit to an emotional factor. The prevalence of bruxism was 25.2% and 16.5% in the children and caregivers, respectively. Among the caregivers of children with bruxism, only 2.9% had sought some type of help. Child's sex, child's sleep and the search for help were significantly associated with bruxism (p = 0.034, 0.013 and < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The knowledge among caregivers about bruxism is still insufficient, especially with regard to the etiology of the parafunctional habit. The lack of knowledge impedes caregivers from seeking help, and thus contributes to the worsening consequences of bruxism in adulthood.