The Impact of Lifestyle and Physical Activity on Self-Reported Bruxism Symptoms in Young Adults

Objectives: Bruxism is an oral habit that sums symptoms like tooth clenching, grinding and jaw contractions.This study aimed to evaluate self-assessment bruxism among dental students.Material and methods: A questionnaire assessing the perception of bruxism symptoms was administered to a cohort of students (n=301) from "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.Data regarding demographics, lifestyle and current symptoms were collected.Results: Statistically significant associations between sedentary behavior (lack of sport participation) and bruxism symptoms were found.Participants who did not practice a sport were more likely to report sleep grinding (36.1% vs. 24.5%,p=0.041), increased tooth wear (21.5% vs. 10.9%,p=0.027) and clenching upon waking (31.4% vs. 20.9%,p=0.049).Conversely, those who reported never clenching during stressful situations were more likely to be physically active (43.6% vs. 25.1%,p=0.009).Similarly, absence of clenching during tense moments was associated with sports participation (47.3% vs. 27.7%,p=0.005).Conclusion: Psychosocial factors and lifestyle significantly impact the presence of bruxism symptoms.The results of the present study suggest that physical activity may reduce the risk of bruxism-associated symptoms.However, correlating perceived symptoms with objective clinical assessment remains necessary.