The level of knowledge about bruxism among the nurses working in primary health care

Background: Bruxism is a dysfunction which constitutes a health threat causing an uncontrolled gnashing and gritting of one's teeth. This relevant health problem concerns a signifcant part of the population, however, only a few seem to be aware of this.Aim of the study: The assessment of the level of knowledge about bruxism among PHC nurses.Material and methods: The research tool was a questionnaire consisting of 16 questions. The study was conducted from January to March 2014. One hundred nurses working in 18 primary health care clinics and school medicine in Silesian and Opole voivodeships took part in it, after delivering the consent from the institutions where they are employed.Results: 52% of respondents rated their level of knowledge about bruxism as average, 24% found it too low, 15% of respondents had no knowledge of the subject, while 6% of the respondents assessed their level of knowledge as high.Conclusions: In the future, the study about bruxism ought to be extended, especially among district nurses who are in contact with PHC patients. It is necessary to pay attention to its prevention, especially the ways of coping with stress and the awareness of patients that the disorder might be a fact.Keywords: bruxism, parafunctions, PHC nurses