Relation between bruxism and dopamine

Abstract

Bruxism is a common parafunction found in the population and there is no consensus about a specific etiology, being considered as multifactorial. Among the etiological factors it’s possible to find the performance of the following neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, serotonin and especially dopamine, due to its function, among others, is to inhibit spontaneous muscle movements. Based on the literature, we were able to confront data that could help proving the influence of neurotransmitters in the genesis of this parafunction and how drugs that act on the same receptors of these neurotransmitters are relevant for triggering or mitigating episodes of bruxism.