Assessing patient awareness of bruxism before dental implant therapy

Bruxism is a common condition that can lead to serious dental and implant-related complications. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the presence and type of bruxism in patients seeking dental implant treatment and to evaluate their awareness of the condition. By increasing awareness and identifying bruxism before implant placement, the study seeks to reduce the risk of future implant and prosthetic complications. One hundred fifty systemically healthy patients aged 18-65 who presented for implant treatment were enrolled in the study. Bruxism was assessed through both clinical examination and self-reported questionnaires, in accordance with the 2025 international consensus on bruxism. Clinical evaluation included both intraoral and extraoral examinations to identify bruxism-related signs. Self-reported data were collected using the Bruxism Questionnaire to identify possible awake and sleep bruxism. Instrumentally-based methods were not applied in this study. The Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) was applied to screen for temporomandibular disorder-related symptoms, and the Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) was used to evaluate psychoemotional status. In addition, patients completed a bruxism awareness questionnaire before surgery. Among the 150 participants, 31.3% were clinically diagnosed with bruxism, while 26% reported experiencing sleep, awake, or both types of bruxism according to the self-reported questionnaire. Bruxism was significantly associated only with age (p = 0.042), but not with gender, education, or TMD severity. Awareness levels did not significantly differ by education, except for the association between bruxism and tooth loss (p = 0.014). Perceived stress scores and oral complaints showed no significant relationship with either bruxism diagnosis or type (p ≥ 0.05). Clinically based bruxism-related signs were frequently observed among patients seeking implant treatment, although awareness and self-recognition of bruxism appeared limited. Routine screening and increased awareness may help reduce potential stomatognathic system overload and implant- or prosthodontic-related complications.Trial registration number: NCT07088887, 2025-07-11 'Retrospectively registered'.