Oral and Nasal Airway Screening by the Dentist

Use of portable monitoring for sleep-disordered breathing treated with an oral appliance

The potential use of a portable monitor to assess the outcome of treatment with an oral appliance would ideally be performed by the dentist who is managing the patient's sleep-disordered breathing. Portable monitoring is one of the most cost-effective ways to assess the response to the oral appliance, to determine if further adjustment to the appliance is needed, and to retest to determine the current status following any adjustment. This article emphasizes the use of portable monitors primarily for follow-up care and assessment as opposed to diagnosis or, as it is sometimes referred to, screening.