[Effect of an oral appliance for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an oral appliance (Sleep Splint) for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients, and to examine problems with this therapy. Fixed in the oral cavity, the Sleep Splint intends to reduce the occurrence of apnea and prevent blockage of the upper airway during sleep. In this study, the therapy using Sleep Splint was done for 50 patients (41 men and 9 women) who had been introduced by the physician diagnosing with OSAS. Sleep monitoring around an oral appliance mounting was carried out, and the effect was evaluated. In addition, the ESS was used in respect of the evaluation of the daytime sleepiness. However, four patients stopped using the oral appliance due to serious discomfort in the maxillofacial region, and they were excluded from the study. Forty-six patients were classified into three groups by the seriousness of OSAS, or into two groups according to body fatness, and the difference of the effect between each group was compared. The results obtained were as follows. 1. As to the Apnea hypopnea index (AHI), Apnea hypopnea density, Oxygen desaturation, and ESS, there was statistically significant improvement regardless of the seriousness of OSAS and body fatness. 2. About all patients except for the patient group of the mild cases (AHI < 10), the occurrence of snoring showed the statistically significant improvement. These results indicated that oral appliance therapy was an effective treatment for OSAS.