Impact of bruxism on oral health-related quality of life among schoolchildren in mangaluru city-a case control study

Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of bruxism on oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among 12 to 15-year-old school-going children in Mangaluru. Materials and methods: A case-control study was conducted among 108 12 to 15 year-old school-going children in Mangaluru. Cases were identified from children having poor OHRQoL and controls as children having better OHRQoL by selecting median scores using Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11-14). Bruxism was identified using the criteria of American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) questionnaire. Information regarding dental caries, dental wear, and malocclusion were also collected. Results: Bruxism was significantly associated with OHRQoL subscales such as emotional and social well-being scores, respectively (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). Malocclusion also showed statistically significant association with OHRQoL subscale of emotional well-being score. However, there were no significantly significant associations between bruxism and overall mean OHRQoL scores (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Bruxism had statistically significant association with OHRQoL subscales, and was shown to have significant impacts on social and emotional wellbeing of participants. Results indicate that bruxism might affect the psychosocial functioning of children. Clinical significance: Bruxism is a common clinical condition encountered by clinicians. The results of the present study indicate that it can have a definite and deeper impact on children’s emotional health and also on the way they socialize. It can thus be one of the critical predictors of psychosocial functioning of the children.