Custom-Made Dual-Functional Oral Appliance for Management of Obstructive Sleep Apneic Completely Edentulous Patient

Abstract

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) being a gold standard treatment to open the upper airway by application of controlled compressed air is still not a widely accepted mode of treatment among obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) individuals. To improve patency of upper airway space and reduce the risk of sleep apnoea, it is essential to provide mandibular advancement devices (MADs) that could provide non-continuous positive airway pressure (non-CPAP) for patients with OSA. Availability of prefabricated oral appliances (OAs) like MADs, tongue holding devices reduced the chair-side fabrication time but has poor adaptation, excessive salivation, and deprivation of sleep. Customized OAs can overcome these challenges, but their fabrication for an edentulous individual is challenging due to the absence of teeth and the encroachment of tongue space by the device. This clinical report gives an insight into the clinical and technical aspect of fabrication of MAD with tongue retaining space for an edentulous individual with OSA.