Bruxism and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Young Women

Bruxism and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Young Women: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study Examining the Relationship Between Orofacial Parafunction and Pelvic Floor Symptoms

Inclusion criteria

• Female individuals aged 18-30 years
• Voluntary agreement to participate in the study and approval of the online informed consent form

For the bruxism group:

• Self-reported teeth clenching and/or grinding behavior during wakefulness or sleep within the past 6 months
• Presence of clinical findings supporting bruxism (e.g., tooth wear patterns, masseter/temporalis muscle tenderness) identified during a clinical examination conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry

For the non-bruxism group:

• No self-reported teeth clenching or grinding behavior
• Absence of clinical findings supporting bruxism upon examination

Bruxism classification will be performed in accordance with the current international consensus, based on self-report combined with clinical findings, within the framework of "probable bruxism" (Verhoeff et al., 2025).

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction or significant jaw pain syndromes
• History of major pelvic surgery; early postpartum period (<1 year) or current pregnancy
• Neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies)
• Presence of active urogenital or colorectal infection/disease
• Diagnosed pelvic floor pathologies (e.g., advanced pelvic organ prolapse, severe urinary/fecal incontinence)
• Chronic use of opioids, anticholinergic agents, or muscle relaxants
• Severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., diagnosed major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder)
• Receipt of any bruxism-related treatment within the past 6 months (e.g., occlusal splint therapy, botulinum toxin injections, intensive physiotherapy)