Short and long-term usage of a dental device in sleep apnea syndrome.

Abstract

To assess the efficacy, the compliance, and the complications of the anterior mandibular positioning (AMP) device in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) patients. Polysomnographic sleep studies were performed on 38 patients before and two weeks (+/- 3 days) after continuous use of the AMP device. Twenty patients also underwent polysomnographic follow-up recordings after 1 year. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) before treatment was 35.6 +/- 17.7 and decreased significantly to 22.7 +/- 15.8 after 2 weeks of treatment (p = 0.01). The mean AHI after 1 year of usage was 25.3 +/- 12.9, differing significantly from the pretreatment AHI (p = 0.01). Seventy-one percent of patients used the device for 18.4 months (range 12-27). One-year clinical evaluation showed preserved dental status, preserved action of the masticatory muscles, and preserved function of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ). Eleven (29%) of the patients did not use the AMP device because of TMJ pain and/or unsatisfying results. The AMP device is well tolerated in 76% of patient. When tolerated, its compliance and efficiency are preserved across the year without long-term oral and jaw dysfunctions.