Therapeutic alternatives for bruxism in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): literature review

Abstract

Bruxism is the most prevalent oral habit in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its management is multifactorial and must be through multidisciplinary approach, aiming to control muscular, physical and psychological tensions. The therapeutic alternatives for bruxism applicable to this population are more restricted and depend on the degree of impairment of each patient's sensory processing. The aim of this study is to present a review of the literature regarding therapeutic options for bruxism in patients with ASD. For this, a bibliographic search was performed in the electronic databases Pubmed, Google Schoolar and Lilacs with the descriptors "autistic disorder", "autism spectrum disorder", "bruxism therapy" and from this, 6 articles were selected to integrate this review of literature. Of these, there were studies on the application of botulinum toxin, physical and vocal signaling and oral rehabilitation for the management of patients with ASD. The literature on bruxism therapeutic techniques in patients with ASD is scarce and outdated, contrasting with the number and variety of studies on the management of bruxism in typical patients. In conclusion, more studies are needed to evaluate new treatments, their effectiveness and possible adverse effects and techniques already reported in the literature, the management of bruxism with verbal and physical signaling has proven to be effective in reducing the severity of bruxism in situations in which it is applied. And also, studies for investigating the possibility of executing these signs throughout the day and being done by the family after training.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, Bruxism/ Therapy*