Associated factors of primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea in patients with sleep bruxism: A questionnaire study

Background: By being aware of the associated factors of primary snoring (PS) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in sleep bruxism (SB) patients, dentists may contribute to the screening and early recognition of SB patients with PS or OSA.

Objective: To identify the associated factors of PS and OSA from questionnaire-based data in SB patients.

Methods: A total of 968 self-reported SB patients (31.6% men; median age 44.5 years) were retrospectively enrolled. Self-reported sleep-related breathing status (viz., no sleep-related breathing condition, PS and OSA) was the dependent variable. Independent variables were questionnaire-based data on demographics, lifestyle, psychological status, pain and sleep.

Results: For PS, no statistically significant associated factor was identified in analyses. For OSA, increased age (OR = 1.04 [1.03-1.06]), male gender (OR = 3.33 [2.17-5.00]), daily alcohol consumption (OR = 1.96 [1.18-3.33]), depression (OR = 1.10 [1.06-1.14]), daytime sleepiness (OR = 2.94 [1.85-4.76]) and high risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD; OR = 2.63 [1.52-4.76]) were found to be significant risk factors, while high risk of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain (OR = 0.51 [0.30-0.86]) and chronic pain (OR = 0.73 [0.59-0.90]) were significant protective factors. These results were confirmed in the subsequent network analysis.

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, no associated factor is identified for PS. For OSA, dentists should keep in mind that increased age, male gender, daily alcohol consumption, depression, daytime sleepiness and high GERD risk are associated with increased OSA risk in SB patients, while high TMD-pain risk and chronic pain are associated with decreased OSA risk in this population.