Bruxism in Older Adults Aged 60 Years and Over: Assessment, Epidemiology, Associated Factors, and Management – A Scoping Review

Bruxism is a repetitive masticatory muscle activity occurring during sleep or wakefulness, yet evidence specific to older adults remains dispersed across disciplines. This scoping review mapped the evidence on bruxism in adults aged ≥60 years regarding conceptualisation, assessment, epidemiology, associated factors, and management. Following PRISMA-ScR guidance, PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for primary studies involving adults aged ≥60 years or reporting separable data for this age group. Two reviewers screened records independently. Of 1227 records identified, 1045 were screened, 80 full texts were assessed, and 34 studies were included. Most were observational studies (64.7%) or case-based reports (32.4%), and most used an unspecified bruxism construct (64.7%). Assessment was predominantly non-instrumental; only six studies used polysomnography or electromyography. Reported associated factors included temporomandibular disorders, orofacial pain, sleep disorders, neurodegenerative disease, stroke, medication exposure, tooth wear, and prosthetic complications. Management evidence was scarce and largely case-based. Evidence on bruxism in later life is fragmented and methodologically heterogeneous. Future studies should report older-adult data separately, distinguish sleep from awake bruxism, and apply standardised assessment frameworks.