Is bruxism associated with the use of screen devices in children and adolescents? A systematic review.

This systematic review summarized findings on the association between screen time and bruxism in children and adolescents (PROSPERO- CRD42023429775). Two researchers conducted the search and selection of studies, extracted the data, and analyzed the risk of bias. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool. Five databases were screened on September 25th, 2025. Studies exploring the association between bruxism and the use of screen devices in individuals aged 0-18 were included, considering different and valid study designs, screen devices, and methods of detection of bruxism behavior with or without circadian distinction. Qualitative data synthesis was performed. Eleven cross-sectional and two cohort studies were included. Eight studies found an association between bruxism and the use of screen devices in children and adolescents, while five studies did not find a significant association. In conclusion, an association between screen use or duration and bruxism in children and adolescents cannot be established. Although some studies reported positive associations for awake, sleep, and unspecified bruxism, particularly in research evaluating longer daily screen time or indicators of problematic digital use, the certainty of the evidence was very low. Further well-designed longitudinal studies should be conducted to broaden the overview of this association.