Abstract
Oral appliances for the treatment of sleep apnea and snoring Oral appliances for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring are worn during sleep to maintain the patency of the upper airway by increasing its dimensions and reducing its collapsibility. Oral appliances are a simpler alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Over the last decade robust studies have demonstrated their efficacy and international sleep medicine guidelines recommend oral appliances for the treatment of mild to moderate OSA. This presentation will explain various designs of oral appliances, their mechanism of action and the clinical procedures of appliance fitting, instruction to the patient and follow up. And it will point out the importance of a multidisciplinary collaboration between sleep physicians and dentists/orthodontists. The demand for qualified dental sleep professionals in this exciting and rapidly evolving science of dental sleep medicine is certain to increase in the future.
Learning objectives
- Explain the pathophysiology of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea OSA.
- Demonstrate the continuous positive airway pressure CPAP mask.
- Understand how oral appliances open the airway.
- Discuss various designs of oral appliances.
- Understand the clinical steps of fitting, titration and follow up of oral appliance therapy in OSA.
- Recognize the importance of the multidisciplinary collaboration between qualified dentists/orthodontists and sleep physicians.
