Abstract
Purpose: In Japan, sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) has been getting recognition since the superexpress accident caused a drowsy driver in 2003. It is gradually recommended to screen and treat undiagnosed SAS patients in the workforce population. SAS is associated with a wide variety of adverse health outcomes. Although it is considered that there were 2 million SAS patients in Japan, only 130 thousand patients were diagnosed and treated. Because the oral appliance is one of the treatment options for SAS, dentists recently have some chance to see SAS patients in their clinics. However, not enough knowledge about the prevalence of SAS in the dental clinic population is available. The purpose of this questionnaire-based study is to examine the characteristics of SAS in a dental setting.
Methods: The subjects were patients who came to our dental clinic seeking dental treatments. The questionnaire of this study included the Berlin Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and an original questionnaire. We examined the Mallampati Score, which is a useful and practical tool to examine the upper airway constriction in a clinical setting.
Results: A total of 23 patients completed the data collection. Nine were suspected of SAS based on the Berlin Questionnaire. Three exhibited abnormal sleepiness (ESS scores exceeding 10). Eleven scored more than class III in the Mallampati Score, which indicated a narrow upper airway.
Conclusion: From this study, it is revealed that the prevalence of a suspected SAS in dental clinic. Because dentists have frequent opportunities to find high-risk patients from oral examinations, a related questionnaire and examination might be useful to assess the risk of SAS and enlightenment in a dental clinic.
