Auriculotherapy for childhood bruxism and parental anxiety: evidence from a case series

This 2017 case series study investigated the effectiveness of auriculotherapy and systemic acupuncture. Five children with bruxism received four weekly auriculotherapy sessions, while their five guardians received four weekly systemic acupuncture sessions for anxiety. Bruxim behavior and anxiety were assessed weekly using the Verbal Numerical Scale (VNS). The children's mean VNS for bruxism decreased from 5.6 to 1.6. Concurrently, the guardians' mean VNS for anxiety dropped from 7.4 to 3.4. These results suggest that auriculotherapy shows potential in reducing bruxism, and systemic acupuncture is effective in decreasing parental anxiety. The findings highlight the benefit of these complementary therapies, though further studies are required.