Abstract
Eighteen patients with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) were treated with mandibular advancement splints (MAS). SAS was diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms and Apnomonitor examination. The body mass index was between 19.5 and 30.5. The results of a questionnaire administered to the patients and their families indicated that snoring decreased or disappeared completely in 17 of 18 patients (94%) by mandibular advancement splint (MAS) therapy. However, muscle fatigue of the jaw and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain was reported by some patients. Muscle fatigue of the jaw and TMJ pain decreased gradually as the patients became accustomed to MAS. The questionnaire was useful in understanding the effects and the problems of MAS therapy. In 13 of 14 patients (92%) who were assessed by Apnomonitor examination, the apnea index (AI) was dramatically improved by MAS insertion, i. e., it decreased from 58.8 to 0.3. No effect was found in one patient with enlarged lingual tonsils. MAS therapy was also useful in some patients without obesity or retrognathia. The results suggest that MAS not only enlarge pharyngeal space but also may strain the pharyngeal or lingual muscles.
We concluded that MAS therapy was effective in the management of SAS.
