Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Dec 21;11(1):10.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11010010.

The Association between Emotional Stress, Sleep, and Awake Bruxism among Dental Students: A Sex Comparison

Shifra Levartovsky  1 , Soad Msarwa  1 , Shoshana Reiter  2 , Ilana Eli  1 , Efraim Winocur  1 , Rachel Sarig  3   4   5
Affiliations

The Association between Emotional Stress, Sleep, and Awake Bruxism among Dental Students: A Sex Comparison

Shifra Levartovsky et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Psychosocial factors may play an important role in the etiology of sleep and awake bruxism. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between emotional stress and bruxism in male and female dental students at various stages of their education. Dental education in Israel is based on a six-year curriculum, divided into three stages: pre-medical studies (yr. 1-2), manual skills (yr. 3-4), and clinical experience (yr. 5-6). Each stage requires different capabilities and skills. Questionnaires regarding psychological state (SCL-90) measuring depression, anxiety, and somatization as well as stress evaluation questioners (Perceived Stress Scale questionnaire 14) were completed by 387 dental students in the 1st to 6th years. Sleep and awake bruxism were evaluated based on the respondent's awareness. During the manual stage of studies, a significant increase was identified, albeit with weak correlations, between stress scales, depression, anxiety, somatization, and the prevalence of awake bruxism, particularly among males. Only in females was sleep bruxism correlated with emotional parameters, whereas no significant difference in sleep bruxism was observed in males throughout the stages of the study. The manual years of dental education were found to be linked to higher levels of emotional distress and awake bruxism, particularly in men. Sleep bruxism, on the other hand, was not directly linked to emotional factors, implying a distinct etiology.

Keywords: bruxism; dental students; emotional stress; sex.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Emotional parameters according to the stage of study and sex: (a) Stress, (b) Anxiety, (c) Depression, and (d) Somatization.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of (a) AB and (b) SB in males and females according to the stage of education (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Lazarus R.S. Patterns of Adjustment and Human Effectiveness. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, Inc.; New York, NY, USA: 1969.
    1. Elani H.W., Allison P.J., Kumar R.A., Mancini L., Lambrou A., Bedos C. A systematic review of stress in dental students. J. Dent. Educ. 2014;7:226–242. doi: 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2014.78.2.tb05673.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alzahem A.M., van der Molen H.T., Alaujan A.H., Schmidt H.G., Zamakhshary M.H. Stress amongst dental students: A systematic review. Eur. J. Dent. Educ. 2011;15:8–18. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2010.00640.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alzahem A.M., Van der Molen H.T., Alaujan A.H., De Boer B.J. Stress management in dental students: A systematic review. Adv. Med. Educ. Pract. 2014;5:167–176. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S46211. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Stewart D.W., de Vries J., Singer D.L., Degen G.G., Wener P. Canadian dental students’ perceptions of their learning environment and psychological functioning over time. J. Dent. Educ. 2006;70:972–981. doi: 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2006.70.9.tb04168.x. - DOI - PubMed