RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Sleep bruxism (SB) is a frequent condition in children. Its pathophysiology involves certain neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, noradrenalin, histamine), but the environment seems to influence its occurrence. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SB in children and their biological mothers, relating it to stress through a case control study. METHODS AND MATERIAL: The group of cases (SG) was composed of 48 subjects, including 24 children with SB and their mothers, and the control group (CG), formed by 36 children without SB and their mothers. The chi-Square test was used and the probability was computed with 95% confidence intervals (p<0.05). Results: The prevalence of probable awareness of SB in children was 22.6%, while it was 30.8% among caregivers. There were no significant associations between the socio-demographic variables and SB. There was an increase in the occurrence of SB in children (p=0.02) when their caregiver also had this condition. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological stress did not establish a significant relationship with SB in either the child or their mothers.
RESUMEN
A dor está intimamente relacionada à qualidade de vida do indivíduo. Por ser a dor orofacial e as disfunções têmporo-mandibulares cada vez mais freqüentes na população mundial, este artigo tem como objetivo realizar uma breve revisão da literatura sobre os instrumentos utilizados para mensurar o impacto da dor na qualidade de vida de pacientes com DTM e demonstrar a importância da utilização dessas ferramentas pelos profissionais de Saúde no diagnóstico, tratamento e controle dessa patologia, considerando-se o aspecto doloroso como uma experiência multidimensional.