Abstract
Dentists hold a key role in the context of ever-growing concerns regarding the management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in adults. Dentists’ contribution in this domain starts with the screening of patients with possible OSA. An earlier intervention for correcting a dento-maxillary anomaly or a parafunction will often serve as a preventive treatment with regard to possible OSA. Furthermore, dental medicine offers nowadays, apart from orthodontic and surgical treatment, a set of therapeutical methods, the most commonly used being the oral appliance and myofunctional therapies. Another important sphere of professional responsibility of the dentist involved in the treatment of OSA consists of periodical examinations focused on assessing clinical evolution, corrective interventions on oral appliances and interventions for preventing local complications. On the other hand, recent studies indicate the potential of different pharmacotherapy agents on OSA pathophysiology, severity and treatment. These agents have shown promising results in improving the efficacy of other therapies dedicated to OSA, therefore, current topics in modern scientific research include the evaluation of standard, even higher doses of single agents or the combination of different agents on the evolution of OSA, as well as the assessment of the association of diverse pharmacotherapy agents with other OSA therapies.
Highlights
Sleep disorders represent an increasingly common pathology, whose undesirable effects could profoundly affect patients’ every-day life
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in adults represent a pathology included in the sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD), which is associated with repetitive episodes of partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep
It is well acknowledged the complexity of OSA, its heterogeneity in terms of risk factors and consequences, pathophysiological phenotypes, clinical presentation, and comorbidity [6, 53]
Summary
Sleep disorders represent an increasingly common pathology, whose undesirable effects could profoundly affect patients’ every-day life. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in adults represent a pathology included in the SRBD, which is associated with repetitive episodes of partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep. As a result of these episodes, reduced (hypopnea) or absent (apnea) airflow lasting for at least 10 seconds is registered [3, 4]. In this specific context, the blood oxygen saturation is reduced and the brain is alarmed, so “micro arousals” (“cortical arousal”) appear during sleeping. AHI results after analyzing a polysomnography (PSG) that is usually done in a sleep laboratory, and includes total episodes of apneas and total hypopneas per hour of sleep. OSA evidence-based therapeutic options includes: medical, surgical, behavioral strategies and adjuvant therapy/pharmacotherapy agents. This paper will present dentists’ key role in the context of ever-growing concerns regarding the management of OSA in adults, in conjunction with relevant arguments that indicate the rising potential of different pharmacotherapy agents on OSA
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