Sleep apnea and mandibular advancement device. Revision of the literature

Sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is a disorder characterized by intermittent and repetitive obstruction of the upper airway provoking pharyngeal collapse. It is characterized clinically by a triad of daytime hypersomnia, snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep that are normally reported by the partner. Polysomnography is the chosen method for diagnosing this pathology. Patients with this disorder tend to have the following dental and orofacial signs: a retrognathic jaw, a narrow palate, a wide neck, deviation of the nasal septum and relative macroglossia, among others. Dentists should be ready to evaluate the risk-benefit of certain dental treatment options for this public health problem. The treatment of this problem will depend on its severity, with one of the options being the Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) that is used especially in the treatment of slight or moderate SAHS and in the treatment of snoring, with results that are occasionally very successful. The objective of this study is to carry out an up-to-date literature review of SAHS and to evaluate the role of the dentist when faced with this pathology.