Dental Appliance Therapy in the Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

People who snore have an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Both of these conditions have a strong association with the potential development of cardiovascular disease. The use of oral appliances for OSA has been found to be equivalent to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at reducing blood pressure in adults, and oral appliance therapy (OAT) has higher compliance than CPAP. Oral appliances give tonus to the muscles of the throat, specifically the velopharynx and oropharynx, via mandibular positioning. Used to treat both snoring and OSA, oral appliances are designed to maintain and/or advance the mandible while the user is in the supine position. An effective oral appliance is titratable, durable, retentive, adjustable, comfortable, and minimally invasive, providing marginal tooth movement and reducing the risk of temporomandibular disorder or joint pain. This article discusses the function and design of and materials used for optimal OAT to treat snoring and OSA.