Oral Appliance Therapy for Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The high efficacy of CPAP treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is offset by intolerance, poor compliance and other concerns such as transportability and embarrassment. Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) using Mandibular Advancement Devices has emerged as the leading alternative to CPAP for treatment of mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and is increasingly being considered as a first-line treatment even for some patients with severe sleep apnea. Some patients prefer to alternate the use of an OSA oral appliance with CPAP.

Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD) use jaw protrusion to increase the volume of the airway. The tongue is affected by all the appliances, either directly by forward movement of the muscle or indirectly by advancing the mandible. These devices differ greatly in both design and action, but adjustable protrusion is critical in order to obtain the most effective jaw position.

Our BresoDx Home Sleep test program can identify patients with sleep disordered breathing and can also monitor the effectiveness of Oral Appliance Therapy. Approximately 60 to 70% of patients with sleep disordered breathing are responsive to OAT. Therefore, it can be very helpful to identify responders before fabricating an oral appliance because of health and cost considerations. Remote mandibular repositioning titration in the home is now available to identify MAD responders enabling sleep physicians to confidently prescribe adjustable oral appliances for patients being treated by dentists with experience in sleep medicine.

For any specific questions or assistance locating a sleep medicine dentist in your locale please contact info@homepsg.com.