The prevalence of awake bruxism and sleep bruxism in the Dutch adult population.

BACKGROUND: Awake bruxism and sleep bruxism are common conditions amongst adult populations, although prevalence data are scarce.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of awake bruxism and sleep bruxism in the Dutch adult population.

METHODS: As part of a large epidemiologic survey on oral health of the general Dutch adult population, a total of 1209 subjects were asked about their bruxism behaviour during the day and during their sleep. The collected data were subjected to stratified analysis by five age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65-74 years), socioeconomic status, and gender.

RESULTS: A prevalence of 5.0% of the total population was found for awake bruxism and of 16.5% for sleep bruxism. Regarding the five age groups, prevalence of 6.5%, 7.8%, 4.0%, 3.2% and 3.0%, respectively, were found for awake bruxism, and of 20.0%, 21.0%, 16.5%, 14.5% and 8.3%, respectively, for sleep bruxism. Women reported both awake bruxism and sleep bruxism more often than men. These differences were statistically significant. Concerning socioeconomic status (SES), both awake bruxism and sleep bruxism were more often found in high SES groups, being statistically significant for awake bruxism only.

CONCLUSION: Sleep bruxism is a common condition in the Dutch adult population, while awake bruxism is rarer.