Oral Appliances for Sleep Breathing Disorders

Abstract

Oral appliances gained acceptance over the last decade and, at the same time, have been proven to be an effective way to manage sleep breathing disorders. Their role has become more acceptable since the first practice parameters paper was published in 1995. Over a 10-year period since then, they have gained an even larger and expanded role. This has occurred because of an increased number of articles with a higher level of evidence relative to efficacy, they are more widely recognized by the sleep medicine and physician community, and there are improved outcomes associated with their use. In the future, oral appliances will be more recognized and accepted. This will occur as two key areas emerge in the future: studies that validate the use of oral appliances, including long-term studies, and the role of oral appliances as part of combined therapy with positive airway pressure (PAP) devices.