Patients' perceptions of the importance of improvements and side effects from mandibular advancement device therapy for obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.

OBJECTIVE: To assess which improvements and side effects are considered most important by patients with OSA treated with a MAD. METHODS: A specific questionnaire consisting of 20 questions, including 10 questions on improvements and 10 on side effects, was developed and mailed to all subjects (54). RESULTS: 42 patients, participated in the survey by answering the questionnaire. The results showed that patients placed greater importance on the positive outcomes of treatment, with the most significant being the reduction in snoring and improvement in sleep quality. On the other hand, the side effects of difficulty speaking with the device, tooth mobility, and foreign body sensation were considered important. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages perceived by the patients appear to outweigh the disadvantages, especially the reduction of snoring, increased productivity, and improved social and intellectual life. Most significant side effects are reversible and short-term, while occlusal changes, is not considered important by patients.

Assessment of Oral Health in a Child Cohort of a Rural Zone of Ethiopia.

Health conditions in a developing state such as Ethiopia are precarious; in addition to the extreme spread of infectious diseases such as AIDS, oral health is also affected by the scarce knowledge and possibility of treatment. This analysis considered 77 children aged 7 to 11 from a primary school in Guraghe in Ethiopia. The presence of plaque, calculus, and caries was evaluated. For each caries, the affected tooth and the site of onset were considered. Plaque was detected in 39% of the children, calculus in 22%, and dental caries in 48% of the patients. The cavities were found to be equally distributed between the two arches, with a prevalence of location in the deciduous teeth and in the occlusal area. The implementation of home oral hygiene education and the training of health professionals who successfully promote oral health is necessary.

Management of the Pediatric Patient with Suspected Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

AIM: The aim of this paper is to describe the multidisciplinary management pathway for pediatric patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) conducted by the Pediatric and Orthodontic Department of the Dental Clinic of Padua. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All pediatric subjects undergo a comprehensive medical history, including the completion of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), and a physical examination. Patients with suspected OSAS are placed on a waiting list for home respiratory polygraphy testing. The respiratory polygraphy examination is conducted over two consecutive nights and interpreted by a neurologist. Additionally, patients diagnosed with OSAS undergo a case study involving intraoral and extraoral photography, as well as radiographic evaluation. RESULTS: Between September 2021 and May 2023, a total of 134 subjects (including 76 males), with an average age of 9.2 years, were identified as diagnostic suspects. Among these, 38 patients (28.3%) tested positive based on respiratory polygraphic results. Depending on the severity and etiopathogenetic characteristics of the disease, the positive cases were referred to various specialists. CONCLUSION: In the daily clinical practice of dentistry, particularly in orthodontics and pedodontics, the establishment of a defined management pathway for pediatric patients with OSAS is crucial. The collaboration of a multidisciplinary team with a shared objective of achieving accurate diagnosis and implementing targeted treatment in a timely manner is essential. Regular re-evaluation of patients through clinical and instrumental examinations is recommended.

Dental arch form and interdental widths evaluation in adult Caucasian patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypothesis that dental arch form and inter-canine, inter-premolar, and inter-molar widths differ between OSAS patients and non-snoring, non-apneic controls. METHODS: Dental digital models from 64 OSAS patients and 64 control subjects were used to obtain dental arch forms and to compare them between the two groups. Arch forms were extracted from the lower arch models using a professional graphics program and an orthodontic digital template. Through an orthodontic software, inter-molar, inter-premolar, and inter-canine widths were measured for both upper and lower arches. RESULTS: The dental arch forms distribution differed between OSAS patients and controls. OSAS patients had reduced inter-canine, inter-premolar, and inter-molar widths for both arches compared to controls. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that OSAS patients have narrower and more tapered arches than controls. Dental arch morphology and interdental widths differ between OSAS and control groups, supporting the hypothesis that they are an etiological factor.

Personality traits and oral device: a new challenge to increase compliance with MAD therapy for OSAS and snoring.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a respiratory syndrome and oral devices can be used for its treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the opinions of a generic subject about being treated by a dentist for a general health problem and the association between personality traits and the predisposition to use a MAD for the treatment of OSAS and snorting. One hundred and forty-eight participants were enrolled in the study and were asked to fill in the questionnaires. Personality traits were evaluated using NFC (Need for Closure), PER (openness to new experiences), STAI-Trait and STAI-Stat questionnaires (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). The propensity to be treated with dental devices for a general health problem such as OSAS and snoring was evaluated with a specific questionnaire. Eight out of ten participants would accept to use dental device to be kept at night for the solution of a health problem or the treatment of a disease that does not affect the teeth. A positive opinion on device used to treat OSAS was associated with higher PER and lower Mad-related distress, while the opinion of usefulness of the device was positively associated with higher PER and STAI-Trait. A positive opinion about treatment of snorting and OSAS using dental devices was associated with higher PER, while lower STAI-Trait was associated with positive opinion on treatment of snorting using dental-devices. The results suggest that some personality traits are associated with the propensity to use MAD to treat a general pathology as OSAS.