Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by repetitive partial or complete upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to intermittent hypoxia and disrupted sleep patterns. Both adult and pediatric OSA can have serious health consequences if left untreated, but these two entities are not superimposable, and present different endotypes (mechanisms) and phenotypes. The therapeutic approach to OSA is individualized and stratified, depending on OSA severity, associated comorbidities and patient’s characteristics. Treatment varies from conservative to more invasive approaches, from positive airway pressure, lifestyle modifications/weight loss, positional therapy or oral appliances, to surgery. For cases of chronic OSA, the question of the long-term effectiveness of these different treatments and their side effects arises. What stability can be expected from treatment with oral appliances, soft tissue surgery or orthognathic surgery?
Learning Objectives:
After this session, attendees will be able to:
Recognize pediatric and adult sleep apnea endotypes, their phenotypes and natural history.
Understand the timing and sequence of OSA treatments, in the light of medical clinical practice recommendations or position papers, and the challenges of each modality (Cpap, oral appliances, soft and hard tissue surgery, etc.).
Describe and manage long-term side effects of mandibular advancement devices.
