Dental Sleep Medicine and the Use of Oral Devices

Abstract

It is estimated that 50–70 million Americans chronically suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, hindering daily functioning and adversely affecting health and longevity. The cumulative long-term effects of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders have been associated with a wide range of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension (HT), diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke. The overall prevalence of sleep problems may be as high as 30 % in children and adults and even higher in elderly people. These sleep disorders are diverse, and in order to deal with all of them a systematic classification is required. Over the years, several classifications have been proposed for sleep disturbances, including those based on symptoms, origin of the disturbance, and objective measurements. As this book aims to serve primarily primary care personnel who may need to deal with patients with sleep disorders, we chose to discuss sleep disorders chiefly based on symptoms. To a greater extent than most scientific and medical disciplines, the field of somnology and sleep medicine cuts across many clinical and basic research disciplines, including but not limited to cardiology, dentistry, endocrinology, epidemiology, geriatrics, molecular biology, neurology, neuroscience, nursing, otolaryngology, pediatrics, pharmacology, psychiatry, psychology, and pulmonology. Between 1982 and 2006, there were 89 distinct publications dealing with oral appliance therapy involving a total of 3,027 patients, which reported results of sleep studies performed with and without the appliance. I was concluded that oral appliances, although not as effective as CPAP in reducing sleep apnea, snoring, and improving daytime function, have a definite role in the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.