Sleep bruxism associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children.

Aims: Sleep bruxism (SB) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are often observed in children and may have several health implications. The aim of this paper is to evaluate their prevalence and to test for possible associations between these two conditions.

Methodology: The sample consisted of 496 children randomly selected among the preschoolers of Taubaté, Brazil; 249 (50·2%) were boys and 247 (49·8%) were girls. Diagnoses of SB and OSAS were made by clinical examinations and questionnaires filled out by the children's parents in a cross-sectional design. Analysis of variance and Chi-square tests were applied to verify possible association among the variables in question.

Results: The average age was 4·49 years (SD: ±1·04 years). A total of 25·6% were diagnosed with SB, while 4·83% were diagnosed with OSAS, and only 2·82% presented both conditions. A statistical association was found between SB and OSAS (P<0·001; Chi-square test): 11·03% of subjects with SB also presented with OSAS, and 97·18% of subjects without SB did not present with OSAS. No association was found among children's gender and age and the presence of SB or OSAS.

Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, SB was associated with OSAS.