The approach and management of bruxism in Alzheimer’s disease: An under-recognized habit that concerns caregivers (innovative practice)

Abstract

Bruxism (teeth grinding) is an under-recognized cause of caregiver concern in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We report two cases of Alzheimer’s disease with bruxism that caused significant distress to the caregivers. Patient data were collected from the case records of our hospital. One patient presented with early Alzheimer’s disease and another with advanced Alzheimer’s disease had bruxism causing significant caregiver distress. One patient was treated with botulinum toxin type A with complete relief of the symptom. Bruxism in Alzheimer’s disease patients can be a cause of caregiver distress. It can be successfully treated with botulinum toxin. Whether bruxism is rare in Alzheimer’s disease or is under-reported is to be evaluated in future studies.