Purpose: This study compared different methods of bruxism diagnosis used in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the agreement between two diagnostic tools for bruxism (questionnaires and portable EMG measuring device).
Methods: Seventy-six (76) subjects without craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) were examined for their bruxism behavior in a clinical study over an observation period of 5 weeks. Measurements of episodes per hour were performed in the home setting using the GrindCare (GC) portable EMG device. The period was divided into 3 intervals (1 week – 2 weeks – 3 weeks). A minimum of 5 h of recorded sleep was a prerequisite for all participants. In addition, sleep (SB) and awake bruxism (AB) self-reports were collected at baseline and the end of the study using questionnaires, including the Oral Behavior Checklist (OBC).
Results: There is a significant correlation between increased jaw activity (diagnosed by OBC) and SB/AB self-reports, as well as between SB and AB self-reports, but not between questionnaires and instrumental (GC) diagnostics.
Conclusion: Questionnaires cannot replace EMG measurements in bruxism diagnostics. Dentists should always use a combination of self-reports in the form of validated questionnaires and instrumental diagnostics to detect bruxism.