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Effects of pergolide on severe sleep bruxism in a patient experiencing oral implant failure.

Van der Zaag J, Lobbezoo F, Van der Avoort PG, Wicks DJ, Hamburger HL, Naeije M

Section of Oral Kinesiology, Department of Oral Function, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

In the patient described in this study, oral implants failed as a probable consequence of severe, polysomnographically confirmed sleep bruxism. As this patient had the wish to be re-implanted after this failure, we decided to try diminishing the frequency of bruxism and duration first. To that end, two management strategies were used. Their efficacy was evaluated polysomnographically, yielding a total of six overnight recordings. Of the selected management strategies, the administration of low doses of the dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist pergolide finally resulted in a substantial and lasting reduction in the bruxism outcome measures under study. This result supports the previous suggestion that central neurochemicals like dopamine may be involved in the modulation of sleep bruxism. The case report also illustrates the importance of an extensive history taking (questionnaires as well as oral) and clinical examination of oral implant patients for the presence of severe bruxism before the implant procedure is started. In case of doubt, polysomnography may be considered to definitively confirm or rule out the presence of severe sleep bruxism.

Published 19 April 2007 in J Oral Rehabil, 34(5): 317-22.
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