J Oral Rehabil. 2026 Aug 2. doi: 10.1111/joor.70256. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Bruxism and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are multifactorial conditions in which cognitive and behavioural traits may play an underrecognised role. Hyperfocus, defined as intense and sustained attentional engagement, has been proposed as a potential driver of heightened sensorimotor activity and pain vulnerability, yet its relevance to bruxism and painful TMD remains poorly understood.
OBJECTIVES: To examine whether hyperfocus is associated with probable bruxism and painful TMD (pTMD), and to determine whether probable bruxism mediates the relationship between hyperfocus and pTMD.
METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study included eighty-five adults attending a university dental clinic who underwent standardised assessments for probable bruxism, pTMD, anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and hyperfocus. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with probable bruxism and pTMD. Mediation analyses tested whether probable bruxism explained the association between hyperfocus and pTMD.
RESULTS: Higher hyperfocus scores were significantly associated with both probable bruxism and pTMD. Each one-point increase in hyperfocus was linked to a 6.5% increase in the odds of PB and a 5.5% increase in the odds of pTMD. Hyperfocus was also associated with self-reported probable bruxism frequency in a dose-response pattern. Probable bruxism did not remain independently associated in the final multivariable model and therefore did not statistically explain the observed association between hyperfocus and pTMD, indicating that hyperfocus may act as an independent factor linked to both conditions.
CONCLUSION: Hyperfocus emerged as a trait associated with probable bruxism and painful TMD in this exploratory cross-sectional study. Longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether these associations reflect causal relationships.
PMID:42543493 | DOI:10.1111/joor.70256
