Oral appliances in the treatment of sleep respiratory disturbances - from goals to outcomes
Abstract
Vanda-Roxana Nimigean1, Florin Mihaltan2, Victor Nimigean3, Maria-Angelica Bencze1, Radu Stanciu4, Ramona-Ionela Truta1
1Disciplina "Reabilitare orala", Facultatea de Medicina dentara, U.M.F. Carol Davila, Bucuresti.
2Disciplina "Pneumologie", Facultatea de Medicina generala, U.M.F. Carol Davila, Bucuresti.
3Disciplina "Anatomie clinica si topografica", Facultatea de Medicina dentara, U.M.F. Carol Davila, Bucuresti.
4Disciplina "Ortodontie si ortopedie dento-faciala", Facultatea de Medicina dentara, U.M.F. Carol Davila, Bucuresti.
Contact: Conf. Dr. Vanda-Roxana Nimigean
Splaiul Independentei nr. 290, e-mail: vandanimigean@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To synthetically present the current state of knowledge regarding the use of oral devices for the treatment of sleep breathing disorders, according to the data provided by the specialised literature references.
Material and methods A MEDLINE search was performed, alongside with a hand search of periodicals in the field.
Results: 172 articles were identified, out of which 86 for pneumologists, 7 for otorhyno-laringologists and 79 for dentists.
Discussions:
Data obtained from the specialised literature indicate that oral devices represent a viable alternative in the treatment of sleep breathing disorders, due to their low cost and to the
relative comfort their wearing offers to the patients, as such solutions are better tolerated than other treatments. Despite the numerous controversies regarding the efficacy of oral devices in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), their use for cases of mild OSA is accepted by numerous specialists, and the competence is delegated to the dentist, specifically to the orthodontics and dento-facial orthopaedics specialists.
Conclusions: Oral devices treatment represents an opportunity for the dentist to contribute to the efficient treatment of many patients with the OSA syndrome, in close cooperation with other sleep medicine specialists.
Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea, mandibular advancement, lateral cephalometric radiography
The therapy with oral devices of the respiratory sleep disorders