Frank Lobbezoo

• DDS, PhD
• Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychosocial factor of interest in the multifactorial aetiology of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain, awake bruxism (AB) and sleep bruxism (SB). Objective: To investigate direct and indirect associations between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), TMD pain, AB, SB and demographic and psy...

Background Parkinson's disease patients have poorer oral health than their healthy peers. Insight into their own experiences is vital for improving dental care. Objective To better understand the experiences of Parkinson's disease patients' with their oral health and dental care. Materials and Methods Eleven semistructured interviews with Parkins...

Background Bruxism is receiving increasing attention from both clinicians and researchers over the past decades. Recently, it has become clear that some aspects of the currently proposed, expert‐driven bruxism definitions raise questions and cause confusion among clinicians, researchers, educators and patients. Objectives The aim of this report is...

Background Sleep bruxism (SB) is defined as a masticatory muscle activity during sleep characterised by a multifactorial aetiology. Tobacco smoking and psychological status are considered predisposing factors for SB, but their mutual interaction remains unclear. Objective To investigate the relationship between self‐report SB, tobacco smoking, and...

Objective: Bruxism is repetitive masticatory muscle activity occurring during sleep or wakefulness. Once considered purely harmful, it is now recognized as having both risk (e.g., tooth wear, TMD) and protective roles (e.g., against sleep apnea, reflux). This study evaluated Finnish dental students' understanding of modern bruxism concepts and man...

Objective: Between 5-12% of the population suffers from Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). TMDs are known for their multifactorial aetiology and one of the proposed associated factors is orofacial trauma. This study investigated the possible association between orofacial trauma and TMD in a tertiary referral clinic. Methods: Patients were diagn...

Objective To explore the associations between traumatic events and post-traumatic stress on the one hand, and painful TMD, awake bruxism and sleep bruxism on the other. Methods At a clinic for Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, 701 patients completed self-report screening questionnaires between May 2023 and November 2024. On the basis of these data, w...

Background: Tinnitus can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life. As no evidence-based curative treatments exist, therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions aim to minimize tinnitus severity and have been shown effective. Since traditio...

Background Observer pain scales are commonly used to assess pain in individuals with impaired cognition. However, nursing staff have highlighted that extremely tight time schedules and increasing workload demands prevent regular use. With the development of a short version of the Pain Assessment in Impaired Cognition (PAIC15), we aimed to reduce im...

Orexin-A (OXA), a neuropeptide produced in the hypothalamus, is recognized for its role in modulating orofacial nociception and regulating feeding behaviors, as well as its impact on psychophysiological responses. This study investigated the role of orexin-1 receptors (OX1R) in modulating nociceptive behaviors induced by noxious stimulation of the...

Objectives Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are musculoskeletal conditions with a multifactorial aetiology. The predictive role of direct orofacial macrotrauma in the development of TMD is considered controversial. This systematic review aims to elucidate the association between direct orofacial macrotrauma and TMD, and to identify potential facto...

Objective: To investigate the relationship between sleep bruxism(SB) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with the use of validated questionnaires in a general population convenience sample. Methods: SB behaviour was evaluated in accordance with the Subject-Based Assessment strategy recommended in the Standardized Tool for the Assessment o...

People with special needs, like those with Down syndrome, Parkinson disease, or dementia, frequently suffer from orofacial pain conditions and dysfunction of the masticatory system. However, the accurate assessment of orofacial pain and dysfunction in such individuals is challenging. In this review, the complexities of assessing and managing orofac...

Oral health indicators may contribute to the oral frailty phenotype, an age-related gradual loss of oral function together with a decline in cognitive and physical functions. The present systematic review synthetized current knowledge on the associations of oral frailty indicators and major cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases in older age, includi...

Background: The treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) often includes the management of sleep bruxism (SB) and awake bruxism (AB). However, few studies have investigated how SB and AB change after the initiation of the interventions aimed at reducing the activity of masticatory muscles in TMD patients. Objectives: The aim of the present...

The idea of classifying and defining bruxism according to ontological principles may be interesting, but currently we just do not have enough information to label in a black or white manner the many facets of bruxism. In an era in which general knowledge on bruxism by the dental communities is surely in need of improvement, efforts to clarify the r...

Background Recently, the Standardised Tool for the Assessment of Bruxism (STAB) has been developed for use in clinical and research settings. Objectives The aim of the present study is to describe the process of forward and back translation and pilot testing of the STAB into Italian. Methods The English version of the STAB was adopted as a templa...

Background The introduction of a smartphone‐based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approach has allowed achieving data on the frequency of different awake bruxism (AB) behaviours (i.e., teeth contact, teeth clenching, teeth grinding, and mandible bracing) reported by an individual in the natural environment. Study Objectives The fluctuation o...

Objective Sleep bruxism (SB) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) seem to be mutually associated. This study investigates the relationship between current SB and OSA‐related symptoms and the difference in OSA‐related symptoms between groups based on a history of SB. Methods An online survey was drafted to report the presence of SB and OSA in sample...

Objectives Tactile acuity is a somatosensory measure of the extent to which humans can discern tactile stimuli. It is influenced by how peripheral signals are processed centrally. In the oral cavity, Occlusal Tactile Acuity (OTA) is the ability to perceive minimal thicknesses between antagonist teeth. The aim of the current study was to assess the...

Sleep bruxism (SB) affects a considerable part of the population and is associated with neuroticism, stress, and anxiety in various studies. However, the causal mechanisms between neuroticism and SB have not been examined. Understanding the reasons for SB is important as understanding bruxism may allow improved comprehensive management of the disor...

Background Practice‐Based Research Network (PBRN) studies typically assess the effectiveness of clinical interventions in settings that match real‐world conditions. Dental PBRNs have the capacity to amass, identify, and analyze vast amounts of data from patient populations that include diverse racial, ethnic, socio‐economic, and geographic backgrou...

Background Inadequate daily oral hygiene care of dental prostheses could worsen general health of frail older people. The index of Augsburger and Elahi is often recommended to assess maxillary dental prosthesis plaque (DPP). Objective To assess the reliability of an expanded and standardised DPP index of Augsburger and Elahi in trained and untrain...

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the clinical utility of bruxism episode index in predicting the level of masticatory muscle pain intensity. The study involved adults (n = 220) recruited from the Outpatient Clinic of Temporomandibular Disorders at the Department of Experimental Dentistry, Wroclaw Medical University, during the per...

Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are the most common reason for chronic pain in the orofacial area and significantly impact the lives of those affected. The role of lifestyle factors in TMD, however, remains less explored. This cohort study aims to estimate TMD prevalence by addressing potential selection biases and to evaluate the asso...

Tooth wear is an increasingly common problem that affects the quality of life. Although previous research suggested that oral health is adversely affected in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) compared to healthy controls, tooth wear has not been extensively studied in this context. Particularly, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence...

As we age, maintaining good oral health becomes increasingly crucial for performing daily tasks. Age-related physiological decline can disrupt various biological systems, causing a significant challenge for geriatric dentistry. A systematic review of the literature using six different electronic databases was conducted to investigate the relationsh...

Background Chronic painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD), awake bruxism and sleep bruxism are often comorbid with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the implications for treatment are unknown. Objective(s) To explore the effects of PTSD treatment on these conditions. We hypothesized that chronic painful TMD, pain intensity, pain interf...

Objective: To investigate if there are dose-response relationships between self-reported waking-state oral behaviours, including awake bruxism, and three indicators of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress). Methods: The study sample consisted of 1,886 patients with function-dependent TMD pain. Relationships between six non-functio...

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of aligners on masseter muscle activity by using an electromyographic device in the home environment. Methods: The study was performed on healthy patients who required orthodontic treatment. Three different 24 h-EMG recording sessions were performed in different conditions: without aligners, with...

Background: The Standardized Tool for the Assessment of Bruxism (STAB) has recently been published. It contains Axis A for evaluating bruxism status and its potential consequences, and Axis B for bruxism risk, etiological factors and comorbid conditions. Suggestions from daily clinical practice can contribute to the further development of the STAB...

Objective: To determine which salivary proteins adhere onto sport mouthguards, and to evaluate the effectiveness of different cleaning strategies in removing deposited protein. Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers used a mouthguard for 1 h. The deposited salivary proteins were analyzed using gel electrophoresis and Western blotting techniques and co...

Background and Objective Parkinson's disease (PD) poses a range of challenges, including oral health issues, that significantly impact the patient's quality of life. Despite growing awareness of PD, oral health receives limited attention. To shed light on this matter, this personal scoping review explores the perspectives of Professor K.G. Raphael,...

Background: The importance of incorporating patient and medical professional perspectives in medical research is increasingly recognized. However, formal platforms for these voices are limited. Objective: To address this gap, this study proposes a novel manuscript type, the Personal Scoping Review, within the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. Mat...

Study objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of sleep bruxism (SB) in adults with primary snoring (PS). Methods: This study included 292 adults with PS (140 males, 152 females; mean age ± SD = 42.8 ±12.2 years; mean BMI ± SD = 26.7 ± 4.7 kg/m2) without previous treatment for snoring. SB was diagnosed based on the frequency of t...

Background Most of the respiratory events in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs in supine position. It has been reported that the contraction of masseter muscles is dependent on the occurrence of arousals rather than on the occurrence of respiratory events. Objectives This study had two aims: (1) to compare the rhythmic masticatory m...

Background Bruxism is a jaw-muscle activity characterized by teeth grinding and clenching. While many of its negative consequences (e.g., jaw-muscle pain, tooth fractures) are of particular interest to dentists, new insights underline the need for physicians to be knowledgeable about bruxism. In order to facilitate transfer of knowledge across disc...

Coding errors were found during preparations for another study. These errors involved mistakenly coding some female participants as male. Further investigations showed that this coding error also affected some of the data used in this study. Although quite a number of women were coded as male (n = 154), this does not change the outcomes of the stud...

It has been suggested that, for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), identification of the obstruction site in the upper airway is essential in the treatment decision-making process. Due to the fact that all existing techniques for the identification of the obstruction site have drawbacks, there is a continuous search for more feasible meth...

The aims of this qualitative research were (1) to gain more insight in the diagnostic and treatment history of patients with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain; (2) to get a deeper understanding of possible factors that are involved in the possible delay in setting a TMD-pain diagnosis and receiving appropriate treatment; and (3) to get...

Aging is related to a variety of physiological organ changes, including central and peripheral nervous systems. It has been reported that the orexin signaling has a potential analgesic effect in different models of pain, especially inflammatory pulpal pain. However, the age-induced alteration in dental pain perception and orexin analgesia has not y...

To investigate the association of the severity of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) pain and dysfunction with the frequency of self-reported awake bruxism (AB), sleep bruxism (SB), and stress in an adult TMD-patient population. This cross-sectional study included 237 TMD patients based on the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. Age, sex, frequency of self...

Background: Recently, the Standardized Tool for the Assessment of Bruxism (STAB) and the bruxism screener (BruxScreen) have been developed for use in research and clinical settings. Objective: As to ascertain high-quality use of both instruments worldwide, it was our aim to develop a guideline for the translation and cultural adaptation of the S...

Background Evaluating patients' satisfaction after received care for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) pain provides oral health care professionals with knowledge and tools to improve their clinical procedures. However, knowledge on patient characteristics that determine satisfaction with the received care for TMD pain is lacking. Objective To ide...

Background The occurrence of cognitive impairment (CI) is expected to increase within an ageing population. CI is associated with tooth loss, which influences masticatory performance. A decrease in masticatory performance may cause functional and morphological changes in the brain. However, whether CI is associated with masticatory performance, dem...

Background Swallowing problems are frequently seen in older adults, especially in individuals with cognitive impairment (CI). The brain plays a crucial role in both cognition and swallowing. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, researchers identified regions associated with swallowing. However, it is not yet fully elucidated which factors i...

Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are common and therefore managed by dentists on a daily basis. However, patients with TMD consistently go undetected and therefore untreated in dentistry. The reasons for these shortcomings have not been fully explored, specifically with regard to patients’ perspectives. Therefore, this study aimed to ex...

OBJECTIVES: Building upon our recently developed conceptual definition of oral frailty (the age-related functional decline of orofacial structures), this e-Delphi study aims to develop an operational definition of oral frailty by identifying its components. METHODS: We used a modified e-Delphi study to reach a consensus among international experts...

Objective As treatment options for condylar fractures have comparable outcomes, getting insight into associated costs is a first step towards implementing value-based healthcare (VBH). Therefore, we described the actual costs of the different treatment options (surgical, conservative, and expectative treatment) for condylar fractures. We expected s...

Background Despite advances in Temporomandibular disorders’ (TMDs) diagnosis, the diagnostic process continues to be problematic in non-specialist settings. Objective To complete a Delphi process to shorten the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) to a brief DC/TMD (bDC/TMD) for the diagnoses with the most utility in general dentistry settings. M...

Approximately 10 % of the general population is affected by temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. Diagnosis of myogenous TMD pain (i.e., TM myalgia) may be challenging, while an adequate assessment of this pain is crucial to establish an adequate management strategy. We aim to analyze if there is a relation between inflammation and TM myalgia, and...

Background: The assessment of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) evaluated the impact of an individual’s oral health on the patient’s physical and psychosocial status. We evaluated the association between subjective OHRQoL, measured with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire, and unfavorable body mass index (BMI) (i.e....

Study objectives To compare the effects of mandibular advancement device (MAD) therapy on upper airway dimensions between responders and non-responders with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods Thirty-one participants (21 men and 10 women) with a mean ± SD apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 16.6 ± 6.7 events/h, and aged 48.5 ± 13.9 y...

Objective: Premature dental contact on the fractured side and a contralateral open bite are signs of a unilaterally fractured condyle of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The lateral pterygoid muscle pulls the condyle inwards, causing angulation of the fractured part and shortening of the ramus. This imbalance after fracture might change the load...

Background: The oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) assessment evaluated the impact of individual’s oral health on the patient's physical and psychosocial status. We evaluated the association between subjective OHRQoL, measured with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire, and unfavorable body mass index (BMI) (i.e., too...

After a fracture of the condyle, the head of the condyle is often pulled inwards, which causes the fractured part to angulate medially. This change can cause a disbalance in the masticatory system. The disbalance could lead to contact stress differences within the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) which might induce remodelling within the TMJ to rest...

Purpose The existence of a bidirectional relationship between poor sleep and pain intensity has been studied, and good sleep quality has been found to be a key factor underlying pain control. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to observe if OSA treatment provides a reduction in temporo-mandibular disorder (TMD) pain and headache attri...

Purpose To compare the anatomical balance and shape of the upper airway in the supine position between adults with positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) and adults with non-positional OSA (NPOSA). Methods Adults diagnosed with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 10 events/h) were assessed for eligibility. POSA was defined as the supine AHI more...

Background: Bruxism is defined as a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible. Bruxism can occur during sleep (sleep bruxism, SB) or during wakefulness (awake bruxism, AB). To date, the effect of AB on the purported negative consequences of bruxism has remained...

Objectives: After a fracture of the condyle, the fractured ramus is often shortened, which causes premature dental contact on the fractured side and a contralateral open bite. The imbalance could change the load in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs). This change could lead to remodelling of the TMJs to compensate for the imbalance in the masticat...

Background: Dental pain is a main clinical problem in the elderly population and its assessment and treatment make special challenges for health care services. However, the age-induced alteration in dental pain perception and the underlying molecular mechanism(s) has not yet been fully clarified. Methods: Here, the effect of aging on nociceptive...

Purpose Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is frequently treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or mandibular advancement devices (MADs). For various reasons, both treatment options are often affected by low adherence. While factors associated with low CPAP adherence are described in the literature extensively, less is known about adher...

Background: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent problem with significant consequences. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and oral mandibular advancement device (MAD) are considered the standard treatments for OSA. Patients may experience self-reported oral moistening disorders (OMD) (i.e., xerostomia or drooling) at the be...

The role of genetic factors, based on twin correlations, was relatively modest, suggesting that environmental factors may play a major role in SB etiology. Notably, smoking status and nicotine dependence were strongly and significantly positively associated with SB.

Sleep bruxism (SB) has been associated with biological and psychosocial factors. The assessment of SB includes self‐report, clinical evaluation, and polysomnography. This study aimed to investigate the associations of self‐reported SB with other sleep disorders and demographic, psychological, and lifestyle factors in the adult general population, a...

Objective: In line with a similar recent proposal for sleep bruxism (SB), defining clinically oriented research routes to implement knowledge on awake bruxism (AB) metrics is important for an enhanced comprehension of the full bruxism spectrum, i.e. better assessment and more efficient management. Methods: We summarised current strategies for AB...

Aim: Pulpal pain is a common orofacial health issue that has been linked to cognitive impairment. Because of its prominent role in pain modulation and cognitive impairment, apelin (Apl) is regarded as a promising target for clinical pain management. The role of Apl in orofacial pain, however, is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine...

Objectives: Tooth wear is a multifactorial condition, leading to the irreversible loss of dental hard tissues. The availability of an unambiguous, universally applicable assessment protocol remains lacking. The goal of the authors is to develop a set of diagnostic criteria for the assessment of tooth wear (DC-TW). A two-step approach will be used...

Background due to numerous motor and non-motor symptoms, dental treatment in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) can be challenging. Knowledge regarding optimal management of oral health in PD patients is lacking. Aim to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of dentists regarding oral health care for PD patients in the Netherlands. Ma...

Purpose To describe the temporal association between leg movements (LMs) and respiratory events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and to quantify the difference in scoring respiratory-related leg movement (RRLM) between the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criterion and the criterion recommended by the World Association of Sl...

Background: The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) for use in adults is in use worldwide. Until now, no version of this instrument for use in adolescents has been proposed. Objective: To present comprehensive and short-form adaptations of the adult version of DC/TMD that are appropriate for use with adolescents in clini...

Objectives: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is a collective term for pain and functional disturbances related to the jaw muscles and the temporomandibular joint. In contrast to screening for orofacial pain, knowledge is limited on the association between patient-reported outcomes and screening for joint-related functional jaw disturbances. Ther...

Purpose The pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is complex and may vary between different races. It has been suggested that the anatomical balance between skeletal tissues and soft tissues around the upper airway is a key pathophysiologic factor of OSA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the anatomical balance of the upper ai...

Background: Sleep bruxism (SB) and awake bruxism (AB) are masticatory muscle activities that are rarely assessed in the same individuals and are thought to be associated with different behaviors. Objectives: To investigate whether individuals engaging in SB also engage in AB, that occurs during rest and during stress-related activity, and to inv...

Background: Bruxism is a masticatory muscle activity occurring during sleep or wakefulness, involving grinding and clenching of teeth and/or jaw bracing. As yet, the etiology, epidemiology, and consequences of awake bruxism (AB) are largely unknown. Objectives: The aims of the study were to AB behaviors using a novel bruxism screener (BruxScreen...

Objectives: To investigate the extent to which the report of awake bruxism is associated with psychological distress, and with the belief that oral behaviours put a strain on the masticatory system among TMD-pain patients. Methods: The study sample consisted of 1,830 adult patients with reported function-dependent TMD pain. Awake bruxism was ass...

Objective: Bruxism is a repetitive masticatory muscle activity. This study investigates dental practitioners' approaches to bruxism assessment and treatment in practices. Methods: A brief 5 question questionnaire ("Quick Poll") on bruxism was conducted. Results: A total of 397 practitioners responded. More than half (55%) initiated treatment f...

Objective: Early life experiences have been found to have a long-lasting effect on brain development in adult life. The purpose of this study was to determine whether neonatal manipulation could alter orofacial pain responsiveness in adult rats METHODS: In the first 21 days of life, male rats were exposed to gentle handling or maternal deprivation...

Objective: in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD), oral health can be affected by motor and non-motor symptoms and/or medication use. Therefore, the aim was to systematically review the literature on oral health and associated factors of oral health in PD patients. Design: a literature search was performed from inception up to April 5th, 2023...