Development of temporomandibular disorders and posterior open bite in patients with mandibular advancement devices used in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

Abstract

'...the signs and symptoms of TMD are not per se a contraindication...' to the use of mandibular advancement devices in those with mild obstructive sleep apnoea.

Main

Göz G. J Orofac Orthop 2013; 10.1007/s00056-013-0158-8

And the investigator states that although TMD may develop in a proportion of those treated with mandibular advancement devices, counterintuitively, those who present with '...TMD before treatment do not exhibit significantly worsened TMD during treatment...' and in some, the symptoms may even decrease. This latter conclusion contradicts the title of this paper. As background, 12% of those living in the US suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the gold standard although not tolerated by half of those patients who receive such treatment. In this retrospective study, consecutive patients (n = 167) with OSA (apnoea-hypopnoea index >5: 5–15, 10 second apnoeas/hr = mild) were treated with a mandibular advancement device. A posterior open bite developed in 6.6% of patients. Half the patients did not complete the study, usually because of muscle pain.