Anxiety Levels in Patients With Bruxism

Objectives: To determine the degree of anxiety in patients diagnosed with bruxism by the Hamilton-Anxiety-Rating-Scale (HAM-A) and its various multi-systemic alterations, from 2013 to 2015, in a university dental clinic in Colombia.
Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study; with institutional ethical approval to the estimated sample of 150 male and female patients diagnosed with bruxism. Patients who referred use of psychoactive substances were excluded. HAM-A scores of 0-17 are considered mild, 18-24 moderate and ≥30 severe. Principal component analysis, Spearman correlation, Cronbach's alpha and Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis were used.
Results: 76 women (51%) with a mean age of 30 years, and 74 men (49%) with a mean age of 31 years. 74% of patients showed severe, 7% moderate and 29% mild anxiety. Principal component analysis of the 53 main variables allowed to group them into 3 groups representing 86% of the information and then into 2 groups representing 93.7% of the information; distributed, likewise, in manifestations on an emotional - sensory and genitourinary level. There was high correlation (Spearman 0.9%) among the clinical manifestations of pain and muscular twitches in severe degree of anxiety. Multinomial Logistic Regression showed that women presented severe anxiety more frequently (63%) as compared to men (0.63%).
Conclusions: In the studied sample, patients diagnosed with bruxism had anxiety, with severe high anxiety more frequently present in women. Clinical manifestations of anxiety in patients with bruxism occur most often on an emotional - sensory, muscular and genitourinary level.