Can Buspirone be a Remedy for an SSRI / SNRI-induced Bruxism?

Abstract

Bruxism is a parafunctional activity characterized by daytime (diurnal) or nighttime (nocturnal) tooth grinding and squeezing and causing various pathologies in oropharyngeal tissues. Buspirone is used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, to reduce the side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and to strengthen the treatment in depression and anxiety disorders. In addition to these uses, buspirone is also used in the treatment of bruxism in adults. In this study, it is aimed to summarize bruxism cases treated with buspirone in literature and to discuss treatment options. A systematic research was conducted on Pubmed, Google Academic and Web of Science databases to evaluate all peer-reviewed articles using buspirone in the treatment of bruxism. The whole study in which buspirone was used in the treatment of bruxism was included in the study. When evaluated on the basis of case reports, buspirone is seen as one of the psychotropes that can be used safely in the treatment of bruxism. In the treatment, it may be recommended to adjust the average daily dose to 10-20 mg and wait a minimum of 2 weeks, although the effectiveness may occur in a much shorter time. This study is important in terms of recommending buspirone, which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of bruxism in many cases, despite its various limitations and as a step for further studies on this subject.