Treatment with Oral Appliances in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder caused by a number of factors like an obstruction of the upper airway during sleep because of insufficient motor tone of the tongue and/or airway dilator muscles or inadequate growth of the maxillary jaw bone etc. Oral appliances (OAs) are commonly used as a non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The primary oral appliance (OA) used in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment is the mandibular advancement device (MAD). Tongue-retaining devices or tongue-stabilizing devices (TSDs) are a second type of OA, which displace the tongue anteriorly and may be customized or come in different stock sizes. This review article aims to examine the best in class on this particular subject of treatment of OSA with oral appliances, explaining acceptability of an appliance in patients on the basis of its construction and results, while providing enough cognizance regarding the diagnosis, management and causes of discontinuation.