Effects on general pain perception and dental pulp sensibility in probable sleep bruxism subjects by experimentally induced pain in a pilot study

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 5836 - 11
• Main Authors: Ommerborn, Michelle Alicia, Özbek, Adem, Grunwald, Maike, Depprich, Rita Antonia, Walentek, Nicole Pascale, Franken, Michael, Schäfer, Ralf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 10.04.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/378/2620/410; 692/700/3032/3082/3085; 692/700/3032/3129/3131; Carbon Dioxide; Dental Pulp; Diagnosis; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; multidisciplinary; Multivariate analysis; Pain; Pain Perception; Perception; Pilot Projects; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sleep; Sleep Bruxism; Statistical analysis; Teeth; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33019-z

In this pilot study, the general pain perception and the dental pulp sensibility of probable sleep bruxism (SB) subjects were compared with that of non-SB subjects. The cold pressor test (CPT), electric pulp test (EPT), and thermal pulp test with CO 2 snow were executed by one trained dentist (blind to SB diagnosis). A one-factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with SB diagnosis as independent variable and standardized measures regarding pain perception and evaluation was performed. One-hundred-and-five participants (53 SB and 52 non-SB subjects) were included. The one-factorial MANOVA revealed a significant difference between SB and non-SB subjects ( p  = 0.01) concerning pain perception variables. Post-hoc univariate analyses of variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant lower general pain tolerance ( p  = 0.02), higher general subjective sensibility of the teeth ( p  < 0.01), and a statistical trend for higher subjective dental pain intensity ( p  = 0.07) in SB subjects. In most of the standardized variables, probable SB subjects seem to react and feel similar to non-SB subjects. However, as probable SB subjects subjectively perceive their teeth to be more sensitive and tend to rate their subjective dental pain intensity more intensely after CO 2 testing, data might point to a somatosensory amplification.