Bone Apposition in the Mandibular Angle in Adult Patients Diagnosed with Bruxism: a Digital Panoramic Based Study

BACKGROUND: Bruxism is defined as a movement disorder of the masticatory system leading to serious problem in the integrity of the oral dentition; it is characterized by teeth grinding and clenching and has been typically classified into three types: a) bruxism occurring during sleep, b) awake-related bruxism, and c) mixed sleep/awake-related bruxism. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess any bone apposition in the mandibular angle in a group of adult patients diagnosed with bruxism using digital panoramic radiographs. METHODS: In the sample of 150 digital panoramic radiographs of 66 women and 84 men with an age range of 24-78 years and diagnosed with bruxism were evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 300 mandibular angles evaluated, 156 (52%) showed bone apposition against 144 (48%) who did not. CONCLUSION: The changes in the mandibular angle, especially bone apposition, can help diagnosing long term bruxism on panoramic radiographs.