The relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and dentistry: 1. Aetiology and diagnosis.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a potentially life-threatening breathing disorder characterized by repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep, with cessation of breathing. Patients are at risk of severe cardiovascular and respiratory complications secondary to recurrent hypoxia and hypercapnia and the overall quality of life for sufferers and their families may be reduced. This article gives an overview of the aetiology (including pathophysiology), clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The role dentistry can play in contemporary management of the disorder will be discussed in a second article.