Effect of Bruxism on Success Rate of Dental Implants. J. YOON, * R.

CHAPMAN, A. ROSEN, N. MEHTA, A. FORGIONE and E. CLARK

(Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA).

Occlusal forces of bruxism are traumatic, damaging teeth or supporting bone. With
implants, there are no ligamentous attachments between bone and implant with foces
transmitted directly to bone. In addition, receptors in the periodontal ligaments are
absent and communication with the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, effecting
feedback controling jaw closure and protecting from excessive closing forces is non-
existant. It would be expected that dental implant and superstructure problems
would be more likely in bruxing patients than non-bruxers. To test this hypothesis, 47
patients with implant prostheses were studied: 17 exhibited signs of bruxism and 30
controls did not brux according to a bruxism questionnaire. The two groups were
compared for 1) pain, 2) implant mobility, 3) periodontal pocket depth and 4) pro-
blems with dental implants and prosthetic superstructures such as implant abutment
fracture, gold screw loosening or fracture, broken denture teeth, clip loosening and
porcelain breakage. A positive significant relationship was found between bruxism
(based on
based on implant
a bruxism questionnaire)
examination: 76% "and
of theproblems
bruxism with
groupprosthetic
and 27% superstructures
of the control
group had problems with superstructures (Yates corre.cted Chi-square, p<0.005).
Ten patients were selected at random from each group and fitted with a Bruxcore
bruxism monitoring device to assess current bruxing (Forgione, A. J. Denl. Res.7
53:.127 (Abstract) .1974). The experimental subgroup showed significantly greater
Bruxcore scores (Fisher-exact probability, p = 0.0054) and tooth wear indices (Fis-
cher-exact, p = 0.0095) than the control group. The results indicate that tooth wear
index and the Bruxcore may be used to diPgnose bruxism and bruxism reduces lon~
term success of implant treatment.

r'

Journal of Dental Research, Volume 74, 1995.

1ADR Abstr. #618