Apical periodontitis after intense bruxism

• Published in: BMC oral health Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 91
• Main Authors: Gund, Madline P, Wrbas, Karl-Thomas, Hannig, Matthias, Rupf, Stefan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24.03.2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Apical periodontitis; Blood vessels; Bruxism; Bruxism - complications; Bruxism - therapy; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case reports; Complications and side effects; Cracked tooth syndrome; Dental pulp; Dentistry; Dentists; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Disease; Endodontics; Fractures; Gum disease; Humans; Male; Mastication; Masticatory Muscles; Occlusal trauma; Pain; Pain - complications; Patient outcomes; Patients; Periapical Periodontitis - complications; Periapical Periodontitis - therapy; Perio-endo lesion; Periodontitis; Remission (Medicine); Risk factors; Root canal therapy; Root Canal Therapy - adverse effects; Root canals; Teeth; Temporomandibular joint; Trauma; Germany; Switzerland; Cracked tooth syndrome; Apical periodontitis; Bruxism; Case-report; Occlusal trauma; Perio-endo lesion
• ISSN: 1472-6831; 1472-6831
• DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02123-3

Bruxism is known to cause masticatory muscle pain, temporomandibular joint pain, headaches, mechanical tooth wear, prosthodontic complications and cracked teeth. Less known to the practitioner, and described only experimentally in literature, is that bruxism can also damage the pulp. To our knowledge, this is the first known clinical case of a patient developing apical periodontitis due to bruxism. This article presents the case and successful treatment of a 28-year-old healthy male patient with apical periodontitis on teeth 36 and 46 requiring root canal treatment after an intense phase of bruxism. Due to an unclear diagnosis, treatment had been delayed. Incomprehensible tooth pain can be the result of bruxism. Practitioners need to be informed that intense bruxism can possibly lead to apical periodontitis. It is important, therefore, that a thorough anamnesis is collected and taken into account during diagnostics.