Facial Profile Shape,Malocclusion and Palatal Morphology in Malay Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

Objective:To test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in facial profile shape, malocclusion class, or palatal morphology in Malay adults with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Materials and Methods:Subjects were 120 adult Malays aged 18 to 65 years (mean ± standard deviation [SD], 33.2 ± 13.31) divided into two groups of 60. Both groups underwent clinical examination and limited channel polysomnography (PSG). The mean OSA and control values were subjected to t-test and the chi square test.Results:Physical examination showed that 61.7% of the OSA patients were obese, and 41.7% of those obese patients had severe OSA. The mean body mass index (BMI) was significantly greater for the OSA group (33.2 kg/m² ± 6.5) than for the control group (22.7 kg/m² ± 3.5; P < .001). The mean neck size and systolic blood pressure were greater for the OSA group (43.6 cm ± 6.02; 129.1 mm Hg ± 17.55) than for the control group (35.6 cm ± 3.52; 114.1 mm Hg ± 13.67; P < .001). Clinical examination showed that the most frequent findings among OSA groups when compared with the control group were convex profiles (71.7%), Class II malocclusion (51.7%), and V palatal shape (53.3%), respectively; the chi square test revealed a significant difference in terms of facial profile and malocclusion class (P < .05), but no significant difference in palatal shape was found.Conclusion:The null hypothesis is rejected. A convex facial profile and Class II malocclusion were significantly more common in the OSA group. The V palatal shape was a frequent finding in the OSA group.     

Investigating the Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Periodontitis

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by disruptions of normal sleep architecture. Chronic periodontitis is a chronic disease of the periodontium that elicits a general inflammatory response to local dental plaque. It has been suggested that periodontal disease may increase in severity with increasingly severe OSA because both disease entities share common inflammatory pathways, acting synergistically to alter the host response. The aim of this study is to analyze the association between severity of OSA and the prevalence/severity of periodontitis. Methods: One hundred patients from a large veterans administration sleep study center (n = 26 normal, n = 21 mild, n = 19 moderate, n = 34 severe) diagnosed with an overnight polysomnogram underwent a comprehensive periodontal examination. Periodontal parameters measured included the following: 1) mean periodontal probing depth (PD); 2) clinical attachment level (CAL); 3) gingival recession; and 4) percentage of sites with bleeding on probing, plaque, PD ≥5 mm, and CAL ≥3 mm. Results: Seventy‐three percent of the sampled population had moderate/severe periodontal disease. χ² analyses revealed no significant differences in the prevalence of periodontal disease between the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) groups, with a negligible Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.246 between AHI severity and periodontal disease severity categories. Analysis of covariance indicated a significant association between AHI severity categories and percentage of sites with plaque, after adjusting for age. Multivariable logistic regression analysis predicting moderate/severe periodontitis with AHI score, age, and smoking status indicated a significant association with age (P = 0.028) but no significant association with the other two predictors. Conclusion: OSA was not significantly associated with the prevalence of moderate/severe periodontitis and the periodontal parameters examined, except percentage plaque.     

Fabrication of an Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prosthesis

Obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disorder, is becoming more prevalent and requires prompt and effective treatment by the dental and medical specialties. Conservative treatment modalities (ie, intraoral devices that prevent or minimize airway obstruction by the tongue) are recommended for treating mild to moderate forms of OSA. This article describes a simplified technique for fabricating an intraoral OSA prosthesis.