Background/Aim. Many studies investigated association between stress, anxiety or personality traits and sleep bruxism (SB), but results are still contradictory. We aimed to investigate whether there is a relation between clinically diagnosed sleep bruxism and salivary cortisol levels as one of the major stress biomarkers and to examine psychological factors and personality traits specific to sleep bruxism. Methods. A total of 23 sleep bruxism patients and 42 healthy non-sleep bruxism adults participated in this study. Diagnose of sleep-bruxism was assessed by selfreport and clinical examination and also confirmed by bedpartner. Morning saliva was collected from all participants for analyses of the cortisol level. Sleep bruxism patients underwent a psychodiagnostic personality interpretation using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory -MMPI-202 test. Results. Statistically significant difference between levels of morning salivary cortisol in the group of SB patients and the control group was recorded (t = 2.943, p < 0.01). Analysis of the personality profiles indicated that the sleep bruxism patients avoid contact with unpleasant feelings, especially depression, suppress the aggression and censor the expression of anger and rage. Conclusion. This study showed that patients with sleep bruxism have higher levels of salivary cortisol. Personality traits such as depression, hypomania and suppressed aggression were found to be common characteristics in patients with sleep bruxism. Present findings might support the hypothesis that sleep bruxism and psychological states such as stress may be related, but the cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow us to draw conclusions about the causal relationship between stress, personality traits and sleep bruxism.

Introduction/Objective. Low-level laser therapy has been suggested as an alternative pain relief therapy in temporomandibular disorders patients. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of Low-level laser therapy on reducing pain intensity in temporomandibular disorders patients, compared to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Methods. A total of 63 patients diagnosed with Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders were divided into two groups. In the first group of 35 patients low-level laser therapy was applied three times a week, 15 treatment sessions during 5 weeks (Wavelength: 780 nm; Power density: 70 mW/cm2; Radiant energy: 4.2 J; Energy density: 4.2 J/cm2; Total treatment dose: 16.8 J/cm2;). The second group included 28 participants subjected to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs therapy (ibuprofen) during two weeks (first three days 3 ? 400 mg, remaining time 2 ? 400 mg per day). Pain was evaluated using 100 mm Visual Analog Scale, at the baseline, during therapy, two weeks and three months after treatments. Results. Statistically significant reduction of pain intensity was achieved both, in low-level laser therapy and in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs therapy groups and remained steady in the follow-up period of three months (p <0.01). Differences in Visual Analog Scale scores between observed groups were not statistically significant in each of the evaluation periods, (p = 0.375, p = 0.665, p = 0.52, respectively). Conclusion. The low-level laser therapy protocol applied in this research was efficient in reducing pain in temporomandibular disorders patients.