Probable Bruxism and Psychological Issues among Dental Students in Serbia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Veljko Kolak, Maja Pavlovic, Ema Aleksic, Vladimir Biocanin, Milica Gajic, Ana Nikitovic, Marija Lalovic, Irena Melih and Dragana Pesic
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Veljko Kolak: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Maja Pavlovic: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Ema Aleksic: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Vladimir Biocanin: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Milica Gajic: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Ana Nikitovic: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Marija Lalovic: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Irena Melih: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia
Dragana Pesic: Faculty of Dentistry in Pancevo, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, 26000 Pancevo, Serbia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the routine way of life, having consequences in many segments of life, including dental practice and education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of probable bruxism in a sample of dental students in Serbia and to estimate the potential association between psychological factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the presence of bruxism. A cross-sectional study included 178 dental students in Serbia, who were interviewed using a specially-designed self-administered online questionnaire, which consisted of three sections, and after that, a clinical examination for the presence of bruxism symptoms in the oral cavity. Psychological status was evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Saliva samples were taken to analyze salivary cortisol levels. The prevalence of probable bruxism was 34.8%. Respondents with probable bruxism had significantly higher DASS-21 and FCV-19S scores and mean values of salivary cortisol compared to non-bruxers. A history of COVID-19 infection, high stress, and fear of COVID-19 scores were associated with the presence of probable bruxism. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a great psychological impact and impact on the presence and worsening of bruxism symptoms in a sample of dental students in Serbia.

Keywords: COVID-19; bruxism; depression; anxiety; stress; fear; salivary cortisol; dental students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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