Mandibular advancement device therapy for obstructive sleep apnea: A longitudinal study among patients treated in community dental care in Finland - Potential for the precision medicine approach

Factors associated with treatment adherence to mandibular advancement devices: a scoping review

PURPOSE

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is frequently treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or mandibular advancement devices (MADs). For various reasons, both treatment options are often affected by low adherence. While factors associated with low CPAP adherence are described in the literature extensively, less is known about adherence to MAD therapy. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the body of literature on the factors associated with adherence to MAD treatment.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using bibliographic databases PubMed, Embase.com , Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library (Wiley) to identify relevant studies that described factors associated with adherence to MAD in the treatment of OSA or snoring combined with OSA in adults.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded a total of 694 references. Forty studies were found eligible for inclusion. The literature showed that factors with a possible negative influence on the adherence to MAD treatment are personality aspects; failing effectiveness of MAD; side effects during MAD therapy; using a thermoplastic MAD; dental treatments during MAD therapy; and a poor first experience with the MAD with inadequate guidance by professionals. Factors that may have a positive effect on MAD adherence include effectiveness of therapy, custom-made MAD, good communication skills of the practitioner, early recognition of side effects, stepwise titration of the MAD, and positive first experience with MAD.

CONCLUSIONS

The knowledge of factors associated with MAD adherence can be used to provide further insight into individual adherence to OSA treatments.

Drug-induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Simulation Bite to Predict the Success of Oral Appliance Therapy in Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS)

Study objectives

Oral appliances have gained their place in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) where custom-made titratable mandibular advancement devices (MAD) have become the oral appliance of choice. This study aimed to asses the value of the drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) using a MAD in the prediction of treatment outcome for OSAHS.

Methods

This is a prospective, single-center cohort study that enrolled sixty-six consecutive patients with diagnosed OSA (5 events/h < apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 50 events/h) to be treated with a custom-made titratable MAD. The patients were evaluated polysomnographically with the MAD in situ after the adaptation and titration period of 3 months. The associations between findings during DISE and treatment outcome were assessed.

Results

The subjects showed a wide range of severity of OSAHS pre-treatment: median AHI was 43.10 with a range from 20.13 to 66.07. The simulation bite was associated with a significant increase in cross-sectional area at level of the velopharynx, tongue base and epiglottis. MAD treatment response in the studied population was 91%, with a mean AHI improving from 43.10 to 12.93.

Conclusions

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy with simulation bite is an acceptably reproducible technique for determining the sites of obstruction in OSAHS subjects; it thus offers possibilities as a prognostic indicator for treatment with MAD.

Mandibular Advancement Devices for OSA: An Alternative to CPAP?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent condition causing unrefreshing sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. It has individual socioeconomic impacts and, through association with increased risk of road traffic accidents, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, OSA is a public health issue. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-line treatment for moderate-to-severe OSA. It is effective in improving excessive daytime sleepiness and quality of life. There is also evidence that CPAP therapy has cardiovascular benefits although nature and extent remain uncertain. Despite its benefits, a significant proportion of patients are unable to tolerate CPAP. There are also patients with mild but symptomatic disease, for whom CPAP is usually not available or appropriate, so there is a need for other treatment options. Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) offer an effective alternative to CPAP and can improve daytime symptoms and quality of life. There are many devices available, representing a range of complexity and cost. It is challenging to properly evaluate the effectiveness of this ever-evolving range. The more basic MADs are cheaper and more accessible but are less well tolerated. More complex devices are better tolerated and may be more effective. However, they are more expensive and often require dental expertise, so access is more limited. Efforts continue to try to improve accessibility to effective MAD therapy. Alongside increasing awareness, this may be facilitated by developing and refining devices that could be fitted by non-dental clinicians, and potentially by patients themselves. Research efforts need to focus on determining how to efficiently identify patients who are likely to respond to MAD therapy, so as to improve clinical and cost-effectiveness of OSA therapy overall.