Smart mandibular advancement devices for obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic literature review.

PURPOSE: The goal of this review is to provide sleep physicians, dentists, and researchers with an evidence-based overview of the literature on smart mandibular advancement devices (MADs) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted by two blinded reviewers and an information specialist. A smart MAD was defined as any MAD with additional functionality besides mandibular protrusion. The bibliographic databases Medline, Embase, and Scopus were used to identify relevant publications. Studies were included if they described any stage of development of smart MADs. A total of 3162 titles and abstracts were screened for their relevance. In total, 58 articles were selected for full-text screening, 26 of which were included in this review. RESULTS: The overall quality of the available literature was low. Most of the studies were observational, clinical or applied-research articles. The authors classified MADs into two main groups: passive and active. Passive MADs measured patient data, most commonly patient compliance. Active MADs adjusted protrusion of the mandible in response to patient data and were found in various phases of technological readiness (in development, demonstration, or deployment). CONCLUSION: Innovations in smart mandibular advancement devices most frequently track patient compliance. Devices measuring other health parameters and active, feedback-controlled, devices are increasingly reported on. However, studies demonstrating their added benefit over traditional methods remain sparse. With further study, smart mandibular advancement devices have the potential to improve the efficiency of obstructive sleep apnea treatment and provide new treatment possibilities.

Non-sleep related outcomes of maxillomandibular advancement, a systematic review.

Maxillomandibular advancement has been shown to be an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea; however, the literature focuses mainly on sleep-related parameters such as apnea-hypopnea index, respiratory disturbance index and Epworth sleepiness scale. Other factors that may be important to patients, such as esthetics, patient satisfaction, nasality, swallowing problems and so forth have been reported in the literature but have not been systematically studied. Together with an information specialist, an extensive search in Medline, Embase and Scopus yielded 1592 unique articles. Titles and abstracts were screened by two blinded reviewers. In total, 75 articles were deemed eligible for full-text screening and 38 articles were included for qualitative synthesis. The most common categories of non-sleep related outcomes found were surgical accuracy, facial esthetics, functional outcomes, quality of life, patient satisfaction, and emotional health. All categories were reported using heterogenous methods, such that meta-analysis could not be performed. There was lack of consistent methods to assess these outcomes. This work is the first to systematically review non-sleep related outcomes of maxillomandibular advancement. Despite growing interest in evaluating surgical outcomes through patient subjective experiences, this review points to the need of standardized, validated methods to report these outcomes.

Assessment of Surgical Accuracy in Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Analysis.

This retrospective study aimed to: (1) investigate the surgical accuracy of maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, with a specific focus on maxillary and mandibular advancement and counter-clockwise rotation and (2) investigate the correlation between the amount of achieved advancement and the reduction in the relative apnea hypopnea index (AHI). Sixteen patients, for whom a three-dimensional virtual surgical plan was generated preoperatively and a computed tomography scan (CT) or cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) was acquired postoperatively, were included. The postoperative CT or CBCT was compared to the virtual surgical plan, and differences in the mandibular and maxillary advancement and counter-clockwise rotation were assessed. Maxillary and mandibular advancement (median 3.1 mm, p = 0.002 and 2.3 mm, p = 0.03, respectively) and counter-clockwise rotation (median 3.7°, p = 0.006 and 4.7°, p = 0.001, respectively) were notably less than intended. A significant correlation was found between the planned maxillary advancement and the difference between the planned and actual maxillary advancement (p = 0.048; adjusted R2 = 0.1979) and also between the planned counter-clockwise rotation and the difference between the planned and actual counter-clockwise rotation for the mandible (p = 0.012; adjusted R2 = 0.3261). Neither the maxilla-first nor the mandible-first surgical sequence proved to be superior in terms of the ability to achieve the intended movements (p > 0.45). Despite a significant reduction (p = 0.001) in the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) from a median of 62.6 events/h to 19.4 events/h following MMA, no relationship was found between the extent of maxillary or mandibular advancement and AHI improvement in this small cohort (p = 0.389 and p = 0.387, respectively). This study underlines the necessity for surgeons and future research projects to be aware of surgical inaccuracies in MMA procedures for OSA patients. Additionally, further research is required to investigate if sufficient advancement is an important factor associated with MMA treatment outcome.

Management of Asymmetry.

Orthognathic surgery in asymmetric cases is challenging because of diversity and individuality. Clinical observations are of paramount importance and need to be systemically thorough. Three-dimensional diagnosis and virtual planning have been proven extremely helpful in facilitating treatment toward symmetry in difficult cases with increasing precision. Compared with orthognathic surgery in symmetric situations, asymmetries produce numerous pitfalls and provide opportunities for out-of-the-box procedures.

Development and testing of a prototype of a dental extraction trainer with real-time feedback on forces, torques, and angular velocity.

The need for a training modality for tooth extraction procedures is increasing, as dental students do not feel properly trained. In this study, a prototype of a training setup is designed, in which extraction procedures can be performed on jaw models and cadaveric jaws. The prototype was designed in a way that it can give real-time feedback on the applied forces in all three dimensions (buccal/lingual, mesial/distal, and apical/coronal), torques, and angular velocity. To evaluate the prototype, a series of experimental extractions on epoxy models, conserved jaws, and fresh frozen jaws were performed. Extraction duration (s), angular velocity (degrees/s), average force (N), average torque (Nm), linear impulse (Ns), and angular impulse (N ms) were shown in real-time to the user and used to evaluate the prototype. In total, 342 (92.9%) successful extractions were performed using the prototype (n= 113 epoxy factory-made, n=187 epoxy re-used, n=17 conserved, n=25 fresh frozen). No significant differences were found between the conserved and the fresh frozen jaws. The fresh frozen extraction duration, linear impulse, and angular impulse differed significantly from the corresponding values obtained for the epoxy models. Extractions were successfully performed, and the applied forces, torques, and angular velocity were recorded and shown as real-time feedback using the prototype of the dental extraction trainer. The feedback of the prototype is considered reliable.

Adverse effects following dental local anesthesia: a literature review.

Local anesthesia is indispensable in dentistry. Worldwide, millions of local anesthetic injections are administered annually, and are generally considered safe invasive procedures. However, adverse effects are possible, of which dentists should be aware of. This scoping review aimed to provide an extensive overview of the reported literature on the adverse effects of dental local anesthesia. The types of papers, what is reported, and how they are reported were reviewed. Additionally, the incidence and duration of adverse effects and factors influencing their occurrence were also reviewed. An electronic search for relevant articles was performed in PubMed and Embase databases from inception to January 2, 2020. The titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers. The analysis was narrative, and no meta-analysis was performed. This study included 78 articles. Ocular and neurological adverse effects, allergies, hematomas, needle breakage, tissue necrosis, blanching, jaw ankylosis, osteomyelitis, and isolated atrial fibrillation have been described. Multiple adverse effects of dental local anesthesia have been reported in the literature. The results were heterogeneous, and detailed descriptions of the related procedures were lacking. Vital information concerning adverse effects, such as the dosage or type of anesthetic solution, or the type of needle used, was frequently missing. Therefore, high-quality research on this topic is needed. Finally, the adverse effects that are rarely encountered in real-world general practice are overrepresented in the literature.

Robot technology in dentistry, part one of a systematic review: literature characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: To provide dental practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive and transparent evidence-based overview of the characteristics of literature regarding initiatives of robot technology in dentistry. DATA: All articles in which robot technology in dentistry is described, except for non-scientific articles and articles containing secondary data (reviews). Amongst others, the following data were extracted: type of study, level of technological readiness, authors' professional background and the subject of interaction with the robot. SOURCES: Bibliographic databases PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were surveyed. A reference search was conducted. The search timeline was between January 1985 and October 2020. STUDY SELECTION: A total of 911 articles were screened on title and abstract of which 161 deemed eligible for inclusion. Another 71 articles were excluded mainly because of unavailability of full texts or the sole use of secondary data (reviews). Four articles were included after hand searching the reference lists. In total, 94 articles were included for analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Since 2013 an average of six articles per year concern robot initiatives in dentistry, mostly originating from East Asia (57%). The vast majority of research was categorized as either basic theoretical or basic applied research (80%). Technology readiness levels did not reach higher than three (proof of concept) in 55% of all articles. In 84%, the first author of the included articles had a technical background and in 36%, none of the authors had a dental or medical background. The overall quality of literature, especially in terms of clinical validation, should be considered as low.

Robot technology in dentistry, part two of a systematic review: an overview of initiatives.

OBJECTIVES: To provide dental practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive and transparent evidence-based overview of physical robot initiatives in all fields of dentistry. DATA: Articles published since 1985 concerning primary data on physical robot technology in dentistry were selected. Characteristics of the papers were extracted such as the respective field of dentistry, year of publication as well as a description of its usage. SOURCES: Bibliographic databases PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched. A hand search through reference lists of all included articles was performed. STUDY SELECTION: The search timeline was between January 1985 and October 2020. All types of scientific literature in all languages were included concerning fields of dentistry ranging from student training to implantology. Robot technology solely for the purpose of research and maxillofacial surgery were excluded. In total, 94 articles were included in this systematic review. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a systematic overview of initiatives using robot technology in dentistry since its very beginning. While there were many interesting robot initiatives reported, the overall quality of the literature, in terms of clinical validation, is low. Scientific evidence regarding the benefits, results and cost-efficiency of commercially available robotic solutions in dentistry is lacking. The rise in availability of open source control systems, compliant robot systems and the design of dentistry-specific robot technology might facilitate the process of technological development in the near future. The authors are confident that robotics will provide useful solutions in the future but, strongly, encourage an evidence-based approach when adapting to new (robot) technology.

Validation of the OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0-3D accuracy assessment tool for bimaxillary surgery and genioplasty.

Orthognathic surgery is a widely performed procedure to correct dentofacial deformities. Virtual treatment planning is an important preparation step. One advantage of the use of virtual treatment planning is the possibility to assess the accuracy of orthognathic surgery. In this study, a tool (OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0), which allows for quantification of the accuracy of orthognathic surgery, is presented and validated. In the OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0 the accuracy of the osseous chin can now be assessed which was not possible in the earlier version of the OrthoGnathicAnalyser. 30 patients who underwent bimaxillary surgery in combination with a genioplasty were selected from three different centers in the Netherlands. A pre-operative (CB)CT scan, virtual treatment planning and postoperative (CB)CT scan were required for assessing the accuracy of bimaxillary surgery. The preoperative and postoperative (CB)CT scans were aligned using voxel-based matching. Furthermore, voxel-based matching was used to align the pre-operative maxilla, mandible and rami towards their postoperative position whereas surface-based matching was used for aligning the pre-operative chin towards the postoperative position. The alignment resulted in a transformation matrix which contained the achieved translations and rotations. The achieved translations and rotations can be compared to planning values of the virtual treatment plan. To study the reproducibility, two independent observers processed all 30 patients to assess the inter-observer variability. One observer processed the patients twice to assess the intra-observer variability. Both the intra- and inter-observer variability showed high ICC values (> 0.92) and low measurement variations (< 0.673±0.684mm and < 0.654±0.824°). The results of this study show that the OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0 has an excellent reproducibility for quantification of skeletal movements between two (CB)CT scans.

Robot Technology in Analyzing Tooth Removal - a Proof of Concept.

A measurement setup is proposed that, for the first time, is capable of capturing the combination of high forces and subtle movements exerted during tooth removal procedures in high detail and in a reproducible manner by using robot technology. The outcomes of a design process from a collaboration between clinicians, mechanical and software engineers together with first results are presented in this proof of concept.

Correlation of straylight and visual acuity in long-term follow-up of manual descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: Long-term quality of vision after Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) was evaluated and correlated with corneal characteristics and subjective complaints. METHODS: Thirty-four eyes were examined; patients had a single visit 6 to 64 months after DSEK for Fuchs dystrophy. Best-corrected distance acuity (BCDA) and straylight were analyzed. To better evaluate long-term postoperative BCDA changes, longitudinal data were used from earlier visits. Corneal thickness was measured with the Visante anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Interface, stromal, and endothelial haze were semiquantitatively graded using the slit lamp. Vision-related quality of life was evaluated with the 39-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire and a straylight questionnaire. Correlation analysis comparing corneal characteristics with visual quality was performed. RESULTS: Mean postoperative time was 1027 ± 453 days. Mean BCDA at this time was 0.33 ± 0.19 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution. BCDA remained stable with long-term postoperative follow-up. Straylight averaged 1.47 ± 0.19, on average 0.12 log units higher than normal for age-related pseudophakic eyes (P < 0.001). BCDA correlated with corneal haze (r = 0.50), whereas straylight showed a nonsignificant association (P = 0.12). Neither BCDA nor straylight correlated with corneal thickness. Mean Visual Function Questionnaire 39 score was 77/100, and mean score of the straylight questionnaire was 46/100. CONCLUSION: Quality of vision after DSEK does not return to normal levels of age-matched pseudophakic eyes, with decreased BCDA and increased straylight. Questionnaire scores indicate mild (Visual Function Questionnaire 39) to moderate (straylight) subjective visual impairment. Corneal thickness and haze do not offer an adequate explanation for the decreased visual quality.

Contributions of the capsulorrhexis to straylight.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the effect of the capsulorrhexis on straylight and to determine optimal capsulorrhexis size. METHODS: Fifty-six pseudophakic eyes with intact capsulorrhexis were included in the study. Straylight was measured with a straylight meter before and after pupil dilation. Capsulorrhexis and pupil diameter were measured and opacity of the anterior capsule was graded (on a scale of 0-5) with the slitlamp. Capsulorrhexis size and opacity were compared with the difference in straylight values between natural and dilated pupils. RESULTS: The mean capsulorrhexis diameter was 4.5 mm (range, 2.9-6.2 mm). Most anterior capsular rims were opaque in the area of contact with the intraocular lens (62.5% higher than grade 1). Mean straylight before pupil dilation was log(s)=1.25 (range, 0.68-2.13), which increased to 1.46 (range, 0.88-2.22) after pupil dilation, which corresponds to a 62% increase (P <.001). The effect of capsulorrhexis size and opacity on the increase in straylight in scotopic conditions can be quantified by the following formula: Deltas = 19 x (grading of anterior capsular rim) x (fraction of pupil area covered by rhexis). CONCLUSIONS: The influence of size and opacity of the capsulorrhexis via straylight is described in a quantitative model. Capsulorrhexis size must be greater than 4 mm to prevent functional problems at night.