Introduction:

Bruxism is defined as an oral motor activity that consists of involuntary clenching or grinding (non-functional rhythmic or spasmodic) of the teeth, with a prevalence rate ranging from 5.9% to 49.6% in children, which could contribute to clinical problems associated with the temporomandibular joint. The association between bruxism in children and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is not yet fully established.

Objective:

The objective of this literature review is to collect up-to-date information on studies that have addressed the association between bruxism and temporomandibular dysfunction in children ranging 3 - 12 years of age. Methods: A search was performed in the Scopus, PubMed and SciELO databases using the descriptors “Child”, “Children”, “Child, Preschool”, “Bruxism”, “Sleep Bruxism”, “Temporomandibular Dysfunction” and “Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome.” Articles published in the last 15 years in the Spanish, English and Portuguese languages were included.

Results:

A total of seventy-two articles were assessed. Only 11 articles were included according to the inclusion criteria. Among the included studies, two of them found no association between TMD and bruxism, three found a trend or probable association, and six found a positive association.

Conclusion:

There are studies that report an association between bruxism and temporomandibular dysfunctions in children ranging 3 - 12 years old, relating the presence of signs and symptoms of TMD with bruxism.