Assessing the immediate impact of Twin-block appliance insertion on adolescents' sleep using a wearable device

Objective

This prospective clinical study aimed to evaluate the immediate impact of Twin-block appliance insertion on the sleep of adolescents using a wearable device.

Materials and Methods

A total of 24 girls, aged 11-13 years, with Class II division 1 molar relationship, skeletal class 2 malocclusion (ANB ≥5) and overjet measuring ≥5 mm were selected. Exclusion criteria included a history of previous orthodontic treatment, systemic disease, irregular sleep pattern, obstructive sleep apnea, medical history of breathing disorders, or concurrent use of medications. Participants wore a wearable device to measure sleep parameters, including deep sleep, light sleep, minutes awake during sleep, wake-up times, bedtimes and total sleep times. The participants wore the device for 10 days prior to Twin-block insertion and sleep data were collected for another 10 days after insertion.

Results

Following the insertion of the Twin-block appliance, there was a highly statistically significant shift in bedtime and wake-up time to later hours (P < .001). All participants experienced a highly significant delay in bedtime compared to the recommended 10 pm time (P < .001). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the duration of light sleep (P < .05). However, the effect on deep sleep, minutes awake during sleep and sleep duration was not statistically significant. None of the sleep parameters tested showed statistically significant changes between the first 5 days after Twin-block insertion with the subsequent 5 days.

Conclusion

The immediate insertion of the Twin-block appliance disrupts sleep onset, wake-up time and light sleep during the specified period of 10 days.