Some are designed to open the throat by bringing the jaw forward, which can sometimes alleviate snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.
The dentist has several devices at his disposal.
You may need to try different devices before you can find one that works for you. The preferred method for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the CPAP machine. An alternative treatment is oral appliance therapy.An appliance looks like a mouth guard. Another dental device stabilizes the tongue. With OSA, a person stops breathing while sleeping because their airway is partially or completely obstructed. Surgeries for OSA primarily consist of reducing physical obstructions, for example, by removing tissue or adjusting the location of the jaw or tongue.
The ideal surgery for a given person with OSA depends on their anatomy and the cause of the airway obstruction. Sometimes, weight-loss surgery is also recommended, as OSA and obesity are related. Sleep breathing disorders (SDB) affect millions of Americans. There are several treatments available, depending on the severity of the disease, the patient's anatomy, and the natural inclination with respect to treatment options.
Some patients are claustrophobic and cannot use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), but they can tolerate oral appliances. Others may fear surgery or simply prefer surgery as a last option. Central apnea is related to central nervous system function and is not treated with oral appliances. This evaluation usually includes a nasopharyngoscopy, or a brief procedure in which a flexible endoscope is inserted into the nose and throat, allowing the doctor to look for areas that may cause blockages while you sleep. Talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist if you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea and you're having trouble following the non-invasive treatments prescribed for you.
The dentist will decide if you are suitable for this treatment and will take an impression of your teeth. A study conducted by Knowles and others on military patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who underwent treatment with oral appliances found that the condition was successfully controlled in 85.5% of these patients people. A literature review by Zhang et al., indicated that oral appliances can significantly increase the percentage of time spent sleeping with rapid eye movements (REM) in patients with severe OSA. The proclination of the mandibular incisors tended to be more pronounced in relation to the duration of treatment, and the retroclination of the maxillary incisors was negatively correlated with propulsion.
The multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) is used to determine how quickly a patient falls asleep, in order to differentiate it from narcolepsy. See also Upper Airway Assessment for Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Physiological Approach to Snoring and Apnea obstructive sleep. In addition, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for work disability, accidents at work and motor vehicle crashes, as well as poor academic performance in children and adolescents. A sleep specialist and a dentist experienced in oral appliances for this purpose should jointly determine if this treatment is best for you.
In addition, while the initial low oxygen saturations were similar, patients who experienced a response to treatment also experienced an improvement in their oxygen saturation, while those who did not respond experienced no significant changes. Oral appliances improve upper airway permeability during sleep by enlarging the upper airways or decreasing the ability of the upper respiratory tract to collapse. The uvula is the structure that hangs in the back of the throat between the tonsils, and the soft palate is the part of the roof of the mouth that connects to the throat. The reduction in the tone of this musculature and the loss of compensatory reflex dilation mechanisms during deep sleep cause airway obstruction.
In maxillomandibular breakthrough surgery, the upper respiratory tract is enlarged by surgically moving the person's jaw forward.
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