Bruxism and Heart Stroke: a Retrospective Study

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between strokes and bruxism.
Methods: Sixty patients with a preexistent heart stroke were enrolled in the study. They all were sent to the Odontostomatologic Insitute from the Cardiology Unit of the same hospital (Ospedale della Versilia, Lido di Camaiore). The criterion used to evaluate the presence or absence of bruxism was the tooth wear index (TWI > 0).
Results: The 91,6% of patients included in the study showed a TWI > 0 and they were considered bruxist.
Conclusions: The results of the present study seem to suggest a strong link between heart stroke and bruxism since the major part of the patients showed the presence of wear facets. Further investigations, based on a larger population study and with the addition of a control group, should be conducted in order to see whether the presence of bruxism can be defined as a predictor for heart stroke and viceversa, even though the second direction is clearly clinically less relevant.