Oral Appliances for Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition, caused primarily by narrowing of the nasal and pharyngeal airway, leading to partial or complete airway collapse during sleep. Treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) is considered first-line therapy, due to an efficacy rate of approximately 95%, yet long-term compliance with PAP is less than 40%. The efficacy of a sleep oral appliance is lower than PAP, yet it may have similar effectiveness. A sleep oral appliance is a reasonable second-line therapy for patients who refuse or fail PAP and may be reasonable first-line therapy.

Keywords: Mandibular advancement device (MAD); OSAS; Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Oral appliance therapy (OAT); Primary snoring; Sleep oral appliance.