Past, present, and future use of oral appliance therapies in sleep-related breathing disorders.

Abstract

Upper airway patency is a delicate balancing act pitting pharyngeal anatomy and baseline muscle tone against the negative pressures created upon inhalation. This uniquely human phenomenon has created for some patients the need for upper airway management during sleep. In this regard, the ability of removable oral appliances utilized during sleep to create and maintain a patent airway has seen the creation of a new area of interest in dentistry termed dental sleep medicine.