Self-assessed competence in relation to bruxism among undergraduate dental students in Finland.

OBJECTIVE

Bruxism is repetitive masticatory muscle activity occurring during sleep or wakefulness. Once considered purely harmful, it is now recognized as having both risk (e.g., tooth wear, TMD) and protective roles (e.g., against sleep apnea, reflux). This study evaluated Finnish dental students' understanding of modern bruxism concepts and management.

METHODS

A 17-question survey was sent to all Finnish dental students (n = 1000), with 220 responses analyzed using SPSS (version 28) via chi-square and Spearman correlation tests.

RESULTS

Knowledge improved with study progression (p < .001), and students with formal bruxism education answered more accurately (p < .001). However, misconceptions about occlusion as a cause increased with study progression (p = .009) and instruction hours (p = .018).

CONCLUSION

While Finnish dental students demonstrate growing bruxism knowledge, outdated beliefs persist. Universities should update curricula with evidence-based content and promote critical evaluation of bruxism-related information.