Objective: Sleep bruxism (SB) is a repetitive rhythmic and nonrhythmic activity. It can be a comorbid condition for other disorders, such as sleep breathing disorders (SBD). However, a clear causal link between these factors is yet to be established. Moreover, this relationship is even more unknown in children. Thus, this systematic review aimed to determine the relationship between SB and SBD in children and teenagers and consolidate the current knowledge about the possible association between both phenomena at the pediatric age.
Materials and methods: Advanced searches were performed in five electronic databases with the last search updated on February 1, 2023. The methodological quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the quality assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies.
Results: Twenty-nine of 6378 articles were selected for detailed analyses. Most articles found a comorbid relationship between SB and SBD, though no study analyzed a temporary relationship. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a meta-analysis could not be performed.
Conclusion: Despite the limitations of this systematic review, it can be concluded that there is an association between SB and SBD in children. However, the level of evidence is low.
Keywords: bruxism; children; obstructive sleep apnea; polysomnography; sleep breathing disorders; sleep bruxism; sleep disorders.
© 2023 The Authors. Oral Diseases published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.