Association Between Child and Parental Stress and Bruxism in Children Aged 8-11 Years

February 20, 2026 updated by: Basak Gunay, Bezmialem Vakif University

A Prospective Observational Case-Control Study on the Association Between Child and Parental Stress and Bruxism in Children Aged 8-11 Years

This prospective observational case-control study aims to evaluate the association between perceived stress levels in children and their parents and the presence of clinically diagnosed bruxism in children aged 8-11 years. Children with bruxism and age-matched controls will be recruited from the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Child perceived stress, parental perceived stress, parenting-related stress, and parental awareness of child stress/anxiety will be assessed using validated questionnaires. Associations between stress-related measures and bruxism status will be analyzed.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

This study is a prospective observational case-control study designed to investigate the association between perceived stress levels in children and their parents and the presence of clinically diagnosed bruxism in children aged 8-11 years. Participants will be recruited from children presenting to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Bezmialem Vakıf University Faculty of Dentistry for dental treatment.

Children will be allocated into two groups based on clinical evaluation: a bruxism group consisting of children diagnosed with bruxism, and a control group consisting of children without clinical signs of bruxism. Bruxism diagnosis will be established using parental reports and standardized clinical examination findings, including tooth wear assessed according to the Smith and Knight Tooth Wear Index, temporomandibular joint findings, masticatory muscle symptoms, and intraoral soft tissue signs.

Perceived stress levels in children will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale for Children (8-11 years). Parenting-related stress will be evaluated using the Parenting Stress Scale. Parents' own perceived stress levels will be measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Parental awareness of the child's stress and anxiety will be assessed using the parent form of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) developed by Birmaher et al.

All assessments will be conducted at baseline during the clinical visit. The primary outcome is the association between child perceived stress levels and bruxism status. Secondary outcomes include associations between parental stress-related measures and child bruxism status. Statistical analyses will be performed to evaluate group differences and associations between stress measures and the presence of bruxism.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34093
        • Bezmialem Vakif University Faculty of Dentistry
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Başak Günay, DDS

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of children aged 8-11 years who present to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Bezmialem Vakıf University Faculty of Dentistry for dental treatment, along with their parents. Children will be classified into the bruxism and control groups based on clinical examination and parental reports.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Children aged 8-11 years Mixed or permanent dentition Presentation to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry For bruxism group: clinically diagnosed bruxism For control group: absence of clinical signs of bruxism Written informed consent obtained from parent/legal guardian

Exclusion Criteria:

Absence of signed informed consent Presence of chronic or systemic diseases

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Bruxism Group
Children aged 8-11 years with clinically diagnosed bruxism.
Control Group
Children aged 8-11 years without clinical signs of bruxism.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Association between child perceived stress level and bruxism status
Time Frame: Baseline
Child perceived stress level assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale for Children (8-11 years); association with bruxism status (yes/no).
Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Association between parenting-related stress and child bruxism status
Time Frame: Baseline
Parenting-related stress level assessed by the Parenting Stress Scale; association with child bruxism status.
Baseline
Association between parental perceived stress level and child bruxism status
Time Frame: Baseline
Parental perceived stress level assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); association with child bruxism status.
Baseline
Association between parental awareness of child stress/anxiety and child bruxism status
Time Frame: Baseline
Parental awareness of child stress/anxiety assessed by the SCARED - Parent Form; association with child bruxism status.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Bezmialem Vakif University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Başak Günay, DDS, Bezmialem Vakif University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 25, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 20, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 08.03.2023 - E.99609

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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