Subject: Oral findings in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
PhD/Ephimia Daskalopoulou, MD, PhD/Emmanuel Vlachoyiannis,
MD, PhD/
Natasa V. Daniilidou, MSc/Panayiotis C. Papanayiotou, DDS,
MD, PhD
Quintessence International April 2005 Volume 36 , Issue 4
Objective:
To evaluate the role of dental parameters that may
contribute in increasing apneic activity in patients with obstructiv
sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
Method and materials: A total of 152 subjects (121 males and
31
females ) were examined from October 1999 until September 2001,
for
sleep disorder symptoms. All patients underwent polysomnography.
Any
abnormal or unusual features that could inhibit the upper airway
of
the oral cavity were evaluated by an oral pathologist.
Results: Statistical analysis of the independent structural
variables
and the respiratory disturbance index proved to be significant
only
in the cases of retropositioned or narrow hard palate with
a
vertically positioned soft palate, the type of breathing (oral
breathing), and the enlarged uvula.
Conclusion: The oral soft tissues seem to be more closely associated
with OSAS. Therefore, the diagnosis of the structural features
of the
oral cavity by the clinician is useful to predict apneic activity.
(Quintessence Int 2005;36:293–298)
