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STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Occlusal load has frequently been suggested to be involved in the development of a noncarious cervical lesion (NCL). However, there is a lack of clinical studies evaluating NCLs and occlusal parameters in sleep bruxism (SB) subjects. PURPOSE: The purpose of this clinical study was to assess the frequency of NCLs and determine potential occlusal differences between SB subjects and healthy control subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 91 volunteers, 58 women and 33 men, with a mean (SD) age of 28.37 (4.89) years (range of 20 to 39 years), participated in this investigation. The clinical assessment of SB was based on the criteria of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The participants were divided into 2 groups; 58 subjects were assigned to the SB group and 33 subjects to the control group, following a thorough dental examination that was performed by a single trained dentist. Additionally, the following parameters were recorded: mean number of teeth present, existence/absence of NCLs, frequency of NCLs relating to the type of tooth, type of occlusal guidance scheme, existence of a slide from centric occlusion (CO) to maximum intercuspation (MI), length of the slide, and report of tooth hypersensitivity. Group differences were statistically analyzed using chi-square tests for the qualitative variables and Mann-Whitney U tests for the quantitative variables (alpha=.05). RESULTS: NCLs were significantly more prevalent in SB subjects (39.7%) than in the control subjects (12.1%) (P=.006). In SB subjects, the first premolars were the teeth most affected, and in control subjects, the first molars were most affected. Tooth hypersensitivity was reported in 62.1% of the SB subjects and in 36.4% of the control subjects (P=.018). The evaluation of occlusal guidance schemes revealed no significant difference between the groups. In SB subjects (70.7%), a slide from CO to MI was significantly more prevalent than in control subjects (42.4%) (P=.008). Moreover, SB subjects demonstrated a significantly longer mean (SD) slide of 0.77 (0.69) mm compared to that of control subjects of 0.4 (0.57) mm (P=.008). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, SB subjects demonstrated significantly more NCLs than the control group; whereas, the type of occlusal guidance scheme seems to be of minor importance in the development of NCLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statement of Problem: At present, there is little information available on how practicing dentists manage bruxism patients with respect to conservative, reversible techniques as compared to irreversible techniques., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the most commonly applied therapies used for the management of bruxism by German general dentists (GDs) and dental specialists. In addition, efforts were made to gather information on the knowledge and opinion of GDs and specialists regarding the role of occlusal interferences, in particular, on the development of sleep bruxism., Material and Methods: A 13-item questionnaire was developed and mailed to all active members of the statutory dental insurance providers of the German North Rhine (n=5500; 2006 roster) and the German Westphalia-Lippe area (n=4984; 2006 roster). Group differences were statistically analyzed using chi-square tests for the qualitative variables and Mann-Whitney U tests for the quantitative variables (α=.05)., Results: Occlusal splints were by far the most frequently prescribed therapy for the management of bruxism, followed by relaxation techniques, occlusal equilibration, physiotherapy, and prosthodontic reconstruction. The occlusal stabilization splint with canine protected articulation was the splint type most often prescribed, whereas respondents used unadjusted soft splints for approximately 8% of their bruxism patients. Comparison of the opinions of all responding practicing dentists with that of experts in regard to the statement that "sleep bruxism is caused by occlusal interferences" showed a significant difference between the 2 groups (P=.021). Eighty-five percent of the experts disagreed with this statement, and only 47.7% of the practicing dentists had the same opinion as the experts., Conclusions: Most practicing dentists seem to concur with current scientific recommendations, and express the opinion that the management of bruxism should predominantly be conservative and reversible; however, the findings of the present survey reveal diverse differences between GDs and dental specialists concerning the most frequently prescribed therapies. Moreover, the discrepancies detected in some areas, such as the use of irreversible techniques or the use of unadjusted soft splints, emphasize the need to more promptly transfer new knowledge in the field of bruxism from researchers to practicing dentists., (Copyright © 2011 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)