Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Oral Appliance

Oral appliances have been considered as effective treatment modality for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Especially mandibular advanced device (MAD) showed more effective treatment results compared to other oral appliances. With the accurate diagnosis through polysomnography, clinical examination and radiographic examination, the appropriate application of oral appliances would show promising results for OSA and snoring. However oral appliances can raise the complications such as untoward movement of teeth and development of temporomandibular joint disorders, thus it is highly recommended that the treatment Should be undertaken by skilled dental specialists. Moreover, periodic check-up and adjustment of appliances, if needed, should be performed. Although the assertion that continuous positive airway pressure is superior to MAD physiologically, consensus is not available until now. For optimum treatment for OSA, further researches are necessary for investigation of long-term efficiency, performance, cardiovascular status and objective adaptation.