An evaluation of bruxism control: massed negative practice and automated relaxation training.

Behavior modification techniques of massed negative practice and relaxation training were applied to separate groups of individuals who had been diagnosed as "bruxers" by multiple criteria. When assessed by an objective index of grinding, neither technique was found to have reduced bruxism significantly. Grinding and state of anxiety scores of bruxers were significantly higher than those of nonbruxing controls. Bruxers did not differ from nonbruxers on trait anxiety measures.