Most Custom Oral Appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Do Not Meet the Definition of Custom

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Dental Sleep Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common respiratory disease with significant health and economic consequences.
• Oral appliances are an increasingly recognized treatment for OSA.
• Current classification of oral appliances lacks precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the classification of "custom" oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea.
• To propose a refined classification system for oral appliances.
• To enhance the clinical use of oral appliances and align with personalized medicine.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of "custom" oral appliances.
• Analysis of components and manufacturing processes.
• Development of a new classification framework.

Main Results:

• Many "custom" oral appliances incorporate prefabricated components, failing the "custom" definition.
• Misclassification hinders accurate evaluation and prescription of oral appliances.
• A proposed refinement includes "semi-custom" and "precision-custom" categories.

Conclusions:

• The current "custom" oral appliance classification is inadequate.
• Refining the classification is crucial for accurate characterization and prescription.
• New categories will improve clinical utilization and personalized sleep medicine.