What sleep behaviors are associated with bruxism in children? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose The aim of this article was to assess the sleep behaviors that serve as risk factors related to bruxism in children ages 0 to 12 years by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies. Methods Seven databases were searched to identify all peer-reviewed articles potentially relevant to the review. Data were pooled for random-effects modeling. Sleep risk factors related to bruxism in this age group are summarized using pooled odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and P values. Results Of 5637 initially identified articles, 14 met inclusion criteria. Study qualities of all case-control studies were high. Quality of cross-sectional studies was more variable. The pooled ORs, 95% CIs, and P values were as follows: snoring (2.86, 1.85–4.42, <0.0001), mouth breathing (1.51, 1.04–2.18, 0.029), restless sleep (2.31, 1.89–2.83, <0.0001), drooling (1.79, 1.07–2.97, 0.026), stomach position during sleep (1.70, 1.0–2.39, 0.003), and inadequate sleep time (2.56, 1.48–4.43, 0.001). Conclusions Snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, drooling, stomach position during sleep, and lack of sleep were the risk factors related to bruxism in children.