The association between bruxism and mandibular morphology: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bruxism on mandibular morphology, by comparing different mandibular measurements of bruxers and non-bruxers on panoramic radiographs. METHODS: Data of 71 patients (32 bruxers and 39 non-bruxers) who referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry. Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey, from 2016 to 2019, were retrieved from the archival records. The canine-molar height. minus width, coronoid height-width, and gonial angle were measured with Turcasoft software on panoramic radiographs obtained from the patients' radiographic archival records. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software, and comparisons of the measurements between bruxers and non-bruxers were performed using independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate. The categorical data were analyzed using chi-square test. RESULTS: Data of 71 patients (22 males, 49 females) aged 15-51 years were analyzed in this study. Regarding coronoid measurements, the left and right coronoid height and left coronoid width measurements were found significantly higher in bruxers than those in non-bruxers (P = 0.025, P = 0.041, P < 0.001). Although all gonial angle, minus width, and molar and canine height measurements were higher in bruxers than those in non-bruxers, these differences were not statistically significant. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in any variable between bruxers and non-bruxers for both genders. CONCLUSION: Given the results of the present study, the morphological changes of the mandible as a consequence of bruxism may be expressed with the changes in coronoid dimensions. However. to reach a definitive conclusion, further prospective clinical studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed.