Association between perfectionism, personality traits and probable sleep bruxism in Spanish schoolchildren: A case–control study

Abstract

Background: The aetiology of Sleep bruxism includes specific personality traits, related to perfectionism. Aim: To investigate the relationship between probable sleep bruxism (PSB) and personality traits in children and their parents, determining whether children with PSB and their parents are more perfectionists. Design: This case–control study included 104 children aged 8–9 years, 52 cases and 52 controls. A clinical examination was performed on the children who completed the Big Five Personality Questionnaire (BFQ-NA) and the Child Perfectionism Inventory. Parents completed a bruxism diagnostic questionnaire according to the AASM criteria, BFQ and Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale questionnaires. t-Tests for independent samples and multivariate logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. Results: A significant relationship between PSB and a self-demanding personality (OR = 1.11, p =.01), restless sleep (OR = 4.41, p =.004), and a family history of clenching and grinding teeth (OR = 3.07, p =.0006) was found in a binary logistic regression model. When adjusted, only restless sleep showed a significant relationship with PSB (p =.03, OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.13–9.81). Conclusion: Children whose parents reported as clenching or grinding their teeth while asleep in the previous 6 months, and who were found to have abnormal dental wear, had significantly more nightmares, sleep disruption, daytime sleepiness, family history of bruxism, and tended to be more perfectionist.