Presence of oral habits and their association with the trait of anxiety in pediatric patients with possible sleep bruxism.

Background: Bruxism is a repetitive masticatory muscle activity with a multifactorial etiology , that can be associated to emotional factors.

Aim: The aim of the study is to identify the presence of oral habits (OHs) and their association with the trait of anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children [STAI-C]) in pediatric patients with possible sleep bruxism (PSB).

Methods: Children between 3 and 12 years of age with PSB reported by their parents with complete deciduous or mixed dentition were included in the present study. Sociodemographic data (SD) as well as those on OHs such as only natural (ON), artificial breastfeeding (OA) or both (NA), finger sucking (FS), pacifier use (PC), and biting nails (BN) or objects (OB) were obtained through an interview with the parents/guardians answered the Brazilian version of the STAI-C questionnaire.

Statistical Analysis Used: SD and OH as well as STAI-C findings were descriptively evaluated, while the associations between OH and STAI-C with PSB were evaluated using the Chi-square test (P < 0.05).

Results: The final sample was 52 children (6.62 ± 1.8 years). Of these, 51.9% were males, 82.7% reported not living in social risk areas, and 21.2% were only children. Considering the OH, patients participated in ON (26.9%), OA (9.6%), and both (63.5%); 13.5% had an FS habit and 46.2% had related PC use; and 80.8% were reported to have OB biting behaviors, while 53.8% participated in BN. The STAI-C was present in 25 (48.1%) patients with PSB and was not associated with the presence of OH.

Conclusion: There is no association between STAI-C and OH in pediatric patients with PSB.