Perceived stress and self-reported bruxism in peruvian dentists: a cross-sectional occupational health study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15343/0104-7809.202650e17872025PKeywords:
Bruxism, Dentists, Perceived Stress, Occupational Health, Self-reportAbstract
Occupational stress represents a growing risk among healthcare professionals, with dentists being particularly exposed to both physical and emotional demands. One of its potential clinical consequences is bruxism, defined as involuntary masticatory muscle activity that may be influenced by psychological factors. This study aimed to determine the relationship between perceived stress and self-reported bruxism in dentists in the city of Puno, Peru, during 2025. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted on a sample of 219 participants. The Stress Reactivity Index (IRE-32) and a 15-item self-report bruxism checklist were used to assess the main variables. Results showed that 38.4% of the participants experienced a high level of perceived stress, and 61.6% reported some degree of bruxism, with the mild form being the most frequent (31.9%). Spearman’s correlation analysis showed a strong positive relationship between the two variables (rho = 0.689; p < 0.001), indicating that higher levels of perceived stress are associated with greater severity of self-reported bruxism. These findings suggest a significant mutual association between the two conditions, which should be considered when designing prevention and health promotion strategies targeting the mental and musculoskeletal well-being of dental professionals. Due to the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships.
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This article is a translation in Português (Brasil) of the article:
Perceived stress and self-reported bruxism in peruvian dentists: a cross-sectional occupational health study
References
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Monterrey AL, González de Rivera JL, de las Cuevas C, Rodriguez-Pulido F. El índice de reactividad al estrés (IRE): ¿rasgo o estado? Rev Psiquiatr Fac Med Barna. 1991;18(1):23–27.
Molina OF, Dos Santos J, Nelson SJ, Nowlin T. A Clinical study of specific signs and symptoms of CMD in bruxers classified by the degree of severity. Cranio. 1999;17(4):268–279. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08869634.1999.11746104
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Owczarek JE, Lion KM, Radwan-Oczko M. The impact of stress, anxiety and depression on stomatognathic system of physiotherapy and dentistry first-year students. Brain Behav. 2020;10(10):e01797. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1797
Babayiğit O, Büyükkalaycı FN, Altun S. The interplay of academic procrastination, self-generated stress, and self-reported bruxism among medical and dental students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychol. 2024;12(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02105-w
Sic A, Bogicevic M, Brezic N, Nemr C, Knezevic NN. Chronic stress and headaches: The role of the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system. Biomedicines 2025;13(2):463. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13020463
Phuong NTT, Ngoc VTN, Linh LM, Duc NM, Tra NT, Anh LQ. Bruxism, related factors and oral health-related quality of life among Vietnamese medical students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(20):7408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207408
Ng A, Hayes MJ, Polster A. Musculoskeletal disorders and working posture among dental and oral health students. Healthcare 2016;4(1):13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare4010013
Kawtharani AA, Chemeisani A, Salman F, Younes AH, Msheik A. Neck and musculoskeletal pain among dentists: A review of the literature. Cureus. 2023;15(1):e33609. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33609
Calderon-Jofre R, Moraga D, Moraga FA. The effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on sleep quality and melatonin serum levels in Chilean miners. Front Physiol. 2022;12:809360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.809360
World Health Organization [website]. Estrés – questions and answers. Geneva; 2023 [accessed Jun 27, 2025]. Available at: https://www.who.int/es/ news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress
World Health Organization. Sensibilizando sobre el estrés laboral en los países en desarrollo [Internet]. Geneva; 2008 [accessed Jun 27, 2025]. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/10665/43770/1/9789243591650_spa.pdf
Lijun Z, Yanping B, Shuhui T, Xuequn R, Meiyan L. The characteristics and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and psychological status in science and technologyists. Zhonghua Neike Zazhi. 2022;61(9):1037–1043. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.cn112138-20220124-00077
Haudrich EA, Burns EK, Gupta T, Haas GL, Horton LE. The day-to-day influence of trauma exposure and sleep dysfunction on everyday stress in youth at familial high-risk for psychotic disorders. Schizophr Res. 2024;274:535–544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2024.10.024
Romero EER, Young J, Salado-Castillo R. Fisiología del estrés y su integración al sistema nervioso y endocrino. Rev Med Cient. 2019;32:61–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37416/rmc.v32i1.535
Villada C, Hidalgo V, Almela M, Salvador A. Individual differences in the psychobiological response to psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test): The relevance of trait anxiety and coping styles. Stress and Health. 2016;32(2):90–99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2582
Dharmadhikari S, Romito LM, Dzemidzic M, Dydak U, Xu J, Bodkin CL, et al. GABA and glutamate levels in occlusal splint-wearing males with possible bruxism. Arch Oral Biol. 2015;60(7):1021–1029. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archoralbio.2015.03.006
Lobbezoo F, Ahlberg J, Glaros AG, Kato T, Koyano K, Lavigne GJ, et al. Bruxism defined and graded: An international consensus. J Oral Rehabil. 2013;40(1):2–4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joor.12011
Amorim CSM, Vieira GF, Firsoff EFO, Frutuoso JRC, Puliti E, Marques AP. Symptoms in different severity degrees of bruxism: A cross-sectional study. Fisioter Pesqui. 2016;23(4):423–430. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-2950/15988723042016
Verhoeff MC, Lobbezoo F, Ahlberg J, Bender S, Bracci A, Colonna A, et al. Updating the bruxism definitions: Report of an international consensus meeting. J Oral Rehabil. 2025;52(9):1335-1342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joor.13985
Przystańska A, Jasielska A, Ziarko M, Pobudek-Radzikowska M, Maciejewska-Szaniec Z, Prylińska-Czyżewska A, et al. Psychosocial predictors of bruxism. Biomed Res Int. 2019;1:2069716. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2069716
Smardz J, Martynowicz H, Wojakowska A, Michalek-Zrabkowska M, Mazur G, Wieckiewicz M. Correlation between sleep bruxism, stress, and depression—A polysomnographic study. J Clin Med. 2019;8(9):1344. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8091344
Saczuk K, Lapinska B, Wilmont P, Pawlak L, Lukomska-Szymanska M. Relationship between sleep bruxism, perceived stress, and coping strategies. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(17):3193. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173193
Costa FDS, Fernandez MDS, Silva-Junior IF da, Karam SA, Chisini LA, Goettems ML. Association involving possible sleep bruxism, stress, and depressive symptoms in Brazilian university students: A cross-sectional study. Sleep Sci. 2023;16(3):e317–322. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1772808
Levartovsky S, Msarwa S, Reiter S, Eli I, Winocur E, Sarig R. The association between emotional stress, sleep, and awake bruxism among dental students: A sex comparison. J Clin Med. 2022;11(1):10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11010010
Evaristo-Chiyong TA. Estados psicoemocionales y presencia de bruxismo en estudiantes de odontología peruanos. Odovtos Int J Dent Sci. 2019;21(3):111–117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15517/ijds.v0i0.34414
Bakri MM, Aljabri MY, Hezam AAA, Abiri ZA, Mubaraky LM, Alhamidhi AA, et al. Association of self-reported bruxism and academic performance in Jazan University dental students: A cross-sectional study. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2024;15(3):379. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/njms.njms_47_24
Martínez-Hernández MM, González-Alamilla R, Gutiérrez-Sánchez JE, Cuevas-Suárez CE, Monjarás-Ávila CU, Monjarás-Ávila AJ, et al. Self-Report of the perception of stress and signs of bruxism generated during the pandemic in student of the health area. Odovtos Int J Dent Sci. 2022;24(3):200–212. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15517/ijds.2022.50877
Durga Prasad Naik K, Gortha P, Varma M, Kumar M, Koruprolu RL, Rameswarapu M, et al. Prevalence of bruxism and its association with stress among dental students: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. J Den Indones. 2025;32(3):153–159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14693/jdi.v32i3.1872
Monterrey AL, González de Rivera JL, de las Cuevas C, Rodriguez-Pulido F. El índice de reactividad al estrés (IRE): ¿rasgo o estado? Rev Psiquiatr Fac Med Barna. 1991;18(1):23–27.
Molina OF, Dos Santos J, Nelson SJ, Nowlin T. A Clinical study of specific signs and symptoms of CMD in bruxers classified by the degree of severity. Cranio. 1999;17(4):268–279. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08869634.1999.11746104
Coelho D, Yamaguchi S, Harb A, Souza-Talarico JN. Effort-reward and overcommitment at work and psychiatric symptoms in healthcare professionals: The mediation role of allostatic load. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2024;17:100225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100225
Owczarek JE, Lion KM, Radwan-Oczko M. The impact of stress, anxiety and depression on stomatognathic system of physiotherapy and dentistry first-year students. Brain Behav. 2020;10(10):e01797. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1797
Babayiğit O, Büyükkalaycı FN, Altun S. The interplay of academic procrastination, self-generated stress, and self-reported bruxism among medical and dental students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychol. 2024;12(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02105-w
Sic A, Bogicevic M, Brezic N, Nemr C, Knezevic NN. Chronic stress and headaches: The role of the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system. Biomedicines 2025;13(2):463. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13020463
Phuong NTT, Ngoc VTN, Linh LM, Duc NM, Tra NT, Anh LQ. Bruxism, related factors and oral health-related quality of life among Vietnamese medical students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(20):7408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207408
Ng A, Hayes MJ, Polster A. Musculoskeletal disorders and working posture among dental and oral health students. Healthcare 2016;4(1):13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare4010013
Kawtharani AA, Chemeisani A, Salman F, Younes AH, Msheik A. Neck and musculoskeletal pain among dentists: A review of the literature. Cureus. 2023;15(1):e33609. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33609
Calderon-Jofre R, Moraga D, Moraga FA. The effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on sleep quality and melatonin serum levels in Chilean miners. Front Physiol. 2022;12:809360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.809360
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2026-03-30
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Arcos-Gordillo, S. D., Mamani-Cori, V., Quilca-Soto, Y., Arcos-Gordillo, J. M., Calcina-Asillo, T. P., & Yucra-Sardon, S. O. (2026). Perceived stress and self-reported bruxism in peruvian dentists: a cross-sectional occupational health study. O Mundo Da Saúde, 50. https://doi.org/10.15343/0104-7809.202650e17872025P
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