Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors Association with Bruxism Among East Carolina Population

Bruxism affects roughly 5-20% of the adult population. It can be defined as a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and can occur during as a sleep-related disorder or during the daytime. Bruxism can irreversibly damage dentition and restorations and can also lead to temporomandibular joint disorders and headaches. The purpose of this study is to analyze the association of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) with bruxism among patients at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine. This test population included 33,430 patients who were categorized by demographic and analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 27 to calculate distributions, frequencies, logistic regression, and Pearson’s Chi-Square analysis. SSRI and SNRI use were found to be a significant predictor of self-reported bruxism. Additionally, results indicated that male, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Mixed, and other race were significantly less likely to report bruxism compared to reference categories of female and White. Female gender was found to be a significant predictor for self-reported bruxism. Limitations of this study included self-reporting bias from data recorded in the patient’s electronic health records, as well as the cross-sectional nature of the data collection preventing the monitoring of medication use and timing of symptoms. Future studies are needed to analyze the relationship between these medications and bruxism, especially regarding specific characteristics associated with each class of medications.