RESUMO
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The psycho-emotional effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic have increased the intensity and number of cases of bruxism, for which no treatment has been considered fully effective. Botulinum neurotoxin Type A (BoNT-A) has shown positive results as an adjunct treatment of primary bruxism; however, this off-label use does not have an established protocol, and further studies are required. PURPOSE: The purpose of this updated systematic review was to analyze the clinical outcomes of BoNT-A in the management of primary bruxism in adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The review was registered under the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration number CRD42021287653, without funding. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, Cochrane Library, and Open Grey Literature databases were searched by using the Mendeley Desktop software program without language restrictions up to June 6, 2021. The risk of bias of the selected randomized clinical trials was assessed by using RoB2, and the level of evidence was measured by 2 independent researchers using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tool. RESULTS: A total of 741 references were obtained from the 6 databases in this systematic review. The 11 randomized clinical trials selected achieved a reduction in bruxism symptoms by injecting BoNT-A into 211 participants with different protocols. The heterogeneity of the included studies did not permit a meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: All the evaluated studies supported the effectiveness of BoNT-A injections in reducing bruxism symptoms. The reduction of symptoms can be obtained with doses lower than 25U applied exclusively in the masseter muscles.
RESUMO
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Botulinum toxin has been used for various therapeutic and esthetic purposes for nearly 4 decades and has shown positive outcomes in patients with bruxism. However, the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections as an alternative to traditional therapies in the management of primary bruxism is still unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze the clinical outcomes of the use of botulinum toxin type A injections in the management of primary bruxism in adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, LILIACS, Cochrane Library, and Open Grey Literature were searched without language or date restrictions until October 6, 2019. Using Mendeley Desktop software to organize the references, 2 independent researchers selected the published clinical studies (Study type) on the improvement of symptoms (Outcome) in human adults with primary bruxism (Participants/Population) who received botulinum toxin type A injections (Intervention), placebo injections, saline injections, no injections, or other treatments (Comparator(s)/Control) for the management of bruxism. RESULTS: A total of 601 references were initially obtained from the 6 databases. Six randomized clinical trials and 4 case series were selected and critically appraised according to the Fowkes and Fulton guidelines. Heterogeneity among the studies did not allow for a meta-analysis. All studies supported the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin injections in reducing the symptoms of primary bruxism. CONCLUSIONS: Botulinum toxin type A injections are effective in the treatment of the symptoms of primary bruxism in adults. Randomized clinical trials are still needed to establish a protocol for using botulinum toxin as an alternative to traditional therapies in the management of primary bruxism.
