Objectives. The study aimed to investigate the psychosocial predictors of bruxism. The association of various psychosocial factors such as alexithymia, emotional processing, state and trait anxiety, and stress with awake bruxism was analysed.Methods. The study involved 52 volunteers diagnosed with awake bruxism. The toolkit that was used included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Emotional Processing Scale (EPS), the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the State- and Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), with independent individual psychological diagnoses being made for every patient. The results were statistically analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 24.Results. The obtained data clearly show that psychological traits—both permanent dispositions (e.g., state anxiety and alexithymia) and temporary states (e.g., trait anxiety, emotional processing deficits, and psychological stress)—are significant determinants of awake bruxism. The percentage of explained variance indicates the presence of other factors as well.Conclusions. Psychosocial factors such as state anxiety and trait anxiety, alexithymia, and perceived stress are as important as somatic causes in the occurrence and maintenance of awake bruxism. The profile of the obtained data suggests the possibility of preventing or minimizing the symptoms of awake bruxism through properly constructed psychoprophylactic interactions.

BACKGROUND:The increased prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) requires searching for new, easily accessible diagnostic methods. In addition to routine clinical examination, various methods of imaging temporomandibular joints are available...

It seems extremely important to know the biomechanical properties of the orofacial tissues among patients with increased activity of masticatory muscles, such as bruxism. The aim of this study was to evaluate biomechanical properties of the masseter muscle by using MyotonPRO in adults with probable bruxism and to define gender relations. This study was conducted in the Temporomandibular Disorders Department at Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland (June 2021–November 2021) among patients that reported bruxism symptoms The patients underwent a clinical examination, then the biomechanical properties of the masseter muscles were assessed. The MyotonPro measured masseter tone, stiffness and elasticity in 36 patients with a self-assessment of bruxism (18 women and 18 men). Data were collected from relaxed and contracted muscles. In relaxed masseter muscles there were no statistically significant differences between the sexes in muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity. During contraction significant differences were found between the sexes in the tension and the stiffness of the masseter muscles. Moreover, women often experienced headaches in the temporal region and pain in the masseter muscles during palpation. Among patients with a self-assessment of bruxism, accompanying pain was significantly more frequent in women. Male gender was associated with increased muscle tension and stiffness of the contracted masseter muscle.

Given the notable prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in the Polish population, there is a clear need for the use of simple, reliable questionnaires as screening tools to facilitate the referral of patients to TMD specialists. The aim of the study was to translate and adapt the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) into Polish and assess its reliability and validity in identifying TMD symptoms. The Polish adaptation of the FAI (FAI-PL) was developed in accordance with the international guidelines, including the translation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Every patient received a standardized assessment, which involved history taking and clinical examination, including the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) and the FAI questionnaire. The psychometric analyses included an evaluation of the questionnaire's reliability and validity, as well as an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Of the 122 individuals enrolled in the study, 63.9% were female. The mean age of the participants was 28.1 years (standard deviation (SD): 6.3). According to the RDC/TMD standards, 40.9% of patients had no TMD, while the FAI assessment indicated that 27% of patients had no TMD. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the FAI-PL was 0.75. The exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 factors, accounting for 55.2% of the total variation. The diagnostic sensitivity of the FAI-PL was 98.6%, while the diagnostic specificity reached a level of 65.3%. The Polish version of the FAI is a reliable and valid tool for the screening of TMD symptoms in the Polish-speaking population.

Background/Objectives: Dentofacial deformities may adversely affect facial aesthetics, oral function, psychological well-being, and social functioning. The Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ) is a condition-specific instrument developed to assess these effects, but no validated Polish version has previously been available. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the OQLQ into Polish and evaluate its reliability and construct validity, including structural validity. Methods: The OQLQ was translated and culturally adapted in accordance with established guidelines. The study included 161 adults: 49 patients with dentofacial deformities awaiting orthognathic surgery, 55 orthodontic patients without dentofacial deformities, and 57 untreated controls. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Thirty participants completed the questionnaire again after one week to assess test–retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Measurement error was quantified using the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimal detectable change at the 95% confidence level (MDC95). Structural validity was examined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the original four-factor model using diagonally weighted least squares for ordinal items. Known-groups, convergent, and discriminant validity were evaluated using predefined hypotheses. Results: The Polish OQLQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the total score (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.957), with domain-level coefficients ranging from 0.879 to 0.948. The total-score ICC was 0.942 (95% CI, 0.88–0.97), and domain ICCs ranged from 0.766 to 0.931. For the total score, the SEM was 3.37 points and the MDC95 was 9.3 points. CFA showed mixed fit (scaled CFI = 0.960, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.125 [95% CI, 0.115–0.134]; robust SRMR = 0.080), while standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.762 to 0.997. Patients awaiting orthognathic surgery had significantly higher OQLQ scores than both comparison groups (p < 0.001), with large total-score effects versus the non-orthodontic control group (Hedges’ g = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.12–1.99) and the orthodontic group (g = 1.27; 95% CI, 0.85–1.69). Fourteen of the 15 predefined primary construct-validity hypotheses (93.3%) were supported. Conclusions: The Polish OQLQ demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability and satisfactory known-groups, convergent, and discriminant validity. The CFA provided partial rather than unequivocal support for the original four-factor structure. The instrument may be used with appropriate caution to assess condition-specific quality of life in Polish-speaking patients with dentofacial deformities; replication of its structural validity in a larger independent clinical sample and evaluation of responsiveness are warranted.