Investigating the potential link between bruxism and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology: An exploratory study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between bruxism and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, and understanding the positioning of bruxism within the framework of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Material and Method: The study included 80 individuals with bruxism, 78 with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 82 healthy participants. All groups were administered the Bruxism Questionnaire, Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test-7, and Yale General Tic Severity Scale. Results indicated that total scores on the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, as well as subscale scores for checking, cleanliness, slowness, doubting, and rumination, were significantly higher in the OCD group compared to the bruxism group, and higher in the bruxism group than the control group. When controlling for anxiety and depression scores, the differences in total and controlling subscale scores of the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory between the bruxism and control groups remained significant. The frequency of bruxism was higher in the OCD group compared to the control group. Additionally, total tic scores in the bruxism group were higher than those in the healthy control group. In conclusion, this study provides important insights regarding the classification of bruxism in psychiatry. It suggests that bruxism should have a definitive position in psychiatric classification, alongside its existing place in neurology and dentistry. This perspective is anticipated to enhance treatment outcomes for bruxism in clinical settings, particularly for cases unresponsive to conventional treatments.