Oral appliance treatment for obstructive sleep apnea

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea occur over a spectrum of upper airway narrowing and affect a large portion of the general population. The consequences of this disorder can be substantial, leading to hypersomnolence, neurocognitive deficits, and significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. During the past 15 years, the use of oral appliances has developed into a viable and scientifically sound method to eliminate upper airway obstruction in a large percentage of patients. Although individual patient selection criteria (predisposing to treatment success) are yet to be determined, it is incumbent that the treating otolaryngologist maintains a working knowledge as relates to oral appliance therapy in this set of patients.