Anterior mandibular positioning device for treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea.

The aim of this study was to determine the severity of side effects and the influence on snoring and the AHI (apnoea-hypopnoea index = number of apnoeas and hypopnoeas per hour recording) of an anterior mandibular positioning device (AMP device) for treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. Questionnaires were mailed to a consecutive series of 30 patients who had started treatment with an AMP device. The mean follow-up interval from receiving an AMP device to answering the questionnaire was 22 months. The perceived degree of sore teeth increased statistically significantly (p < 0.01) as a result of the AMP device treatment, but there was no increase in the degree of facial pain, salivation, or temporomandibular joint pain. The AMP device treatment resulted in a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.01) of the mean AHI and of the mean percentage of the recording time with loud snoring (p < 0.05). Twenty-two patients out of 30 were still using the device at the time of follow-up. In conclusion, AMP device treatment was associated with only mild side effects and resulted in a statistically significant reduction of the AHI and of the percentage of the recording time with loud snoring.