Fabrication of a prosthesis to prevent sleep apnea in edentulous patients

This article describes clinical and laboratory technique to use in the fabrication of a prosthesis to prevent sleep apnea in the edentulous patient. The objective of the treatment is to establish a comfortable protrusive and vertical posture of the mandible that prevents or minimizes obstruction of the airway during sleep. During fabrication of the prosthesis, cephalograms are used to assess spatial changes between the base of the tongue and the posterior pharyngeal wall.