Published online Feb 26, 2019. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i4.516
Peer-review started: November 14, 2018
First decision: December 22, 2018
Revised: January 8, 2019
Accepted: January 26, 2019
Article in press: January 26, 2019
Published online: February 26, 2019
Bruxism is a jaw-muscle activity characterized by the clenching or grinding of teeth. It can be divided into nocturnal bruxism and diurnal bruxism (DB). DB secondary to antidepressants is rare and refractory. Reports associated with antidepressant-induced DB are mostly anecdotal without long-term follow-up. The effect of drug intervention on antidepressant-induced DB is still contested. We herein report the first case of successful treatment of venlafaxine-induced DB with an occlusal splint.
This case report describes detailed 7-year follow-up of a patient with venlafaxine-induced DB treated with an occlusal splint. The patient who complained about involuntary daytime tooth grinding after taking venlafaxine for a period of 4 mo and was diagnosed with venlafaxine-induced DB. Subsequently, an occlusal splint with modified bilateral buccal-pterygoid pads was used to treat his tooth grinding and to protect the dental structures from tooth wearing. The patient reported remission of symptoms after several months of treatment. His grinding activity was gradually and stably controlled after 2 years, with an almost complete recovery from DB after 6 years.
The maxillary buccal-pterygoid splint can be used as a noninvasive approach to treat venlafaxine-induced DB.
Core tip: Secondary diurnal bruxism (DB) is rare and refractory. The existing literature associated with antidepressant-induced DB mostly consists of anecdotal reports without long-term follow-up. Therapeutic effects of drug intervention are still unclear. This case is the first to describe successful treatment of venlafaxine-induced DB with an occlusal splint.