Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome does not negatively affect oral and dental health.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome can lead to unhealthy open-mouth breathing. We investigated the possible relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and dental health. We also evaluated other clinical factors that may affect oral health. METHODS: We measured sleep using polysomnography and determined the apnoea-hypopnoea index for a total of 291 patients. We also recorded the demographic data, duration of snoring complaints, educational status and income levels for our patient cohort; finally, we calculated the decayed, missing and filled teeth index. RESULTS: Forty-one patients presented with primary snoring (control group) and 250 patients (study group) presented with mild, moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. We found no correlation between obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome severity and the decayed, missing and filled teeth index (p = 0.057). We also found no correlation between the apnoea-hypopnoea and decayed, missing and filled teeth indexes. Age and the duration of snoring complaints were positively correlated with the decayed, missing and filled teeth index while educational status and income levels were negatively correlated (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome does not negatively affect oral and dental health.

Clinical evaluation of submerged and non-submerged implants for posterior single-tooth replacements: a randomized split-mouth clinical trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiographic results of submerged and non-submerged implants for posterior single-tooth replacements and to assess patient-based outcomes. Twenty patients were included in the study. A split-mouth design was used; implants inserted using a submerged technique were compared to those inserted with a non-submerged technique. Implants were restored with metal-ceramic crowns after 3 months. Reconstructions were examined at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months. Standardized radiographs were made. Radiographic crestal bone level changes were calculated, as well as soft tissue parameters, including pocket probing depth, bleeding on probing, plaque index, and gingival index. Results were analyzed by two-way repeated measures of variance (ANOVA). To evaluate patient-based outcomes, patients were asked to complete a questionnaire at the 6-month follow-up; the Wilcoxon paired signed rank test was used to compare scores. The data of 18 patients were reviewed. During 24 months, non-submerged implants (0.57 ± 0.21 mm) showed significantly lower bone loss than submerged implants (0.68 ± 0.22 mm) (P<0.01). Patient satisfaction with non-submerged implants (median 87.5) was significantly higher than with submerged implants (median 81.5) (P<0.01). Non-submerged implants showed comparable clinical results to submerged implants and resulted in higher patient satisfaction due to decreased surgical intervention.