Obstructive sleep apnea is defined as no breathing for at least 10 seconds repeatedly during sleep due to upper airway obstruction.
This disease, which affects about two million people in Spain, it represents a problem that goes beyond the simple annoyances caused by snoring at night.
And it is that sleep apnea can be life-threatening by increasing the risk of stroke or heart attack, among others. Fortunately, there are different alternatives to deal with this problem.
Among them, the well-known and most used CPAPwhich are nothing more than machines that, through a mask, inflate pressurized air to prevent the collapse of the airways during sleep.
However, it has a serious problem, and that is that many patients find it difficult to get used to this system and sleep with it all night. To the point that for every 100 CPAPS distributed, only 40% of patients continue to use them steadily over the years.
It may interest you: World sleep day: the doctor’s advice to sleep better
In order to present an alternative to the use of these machines in patients with mild and moderate apneas, the associate chief of the oral, maxillofacial and implant surgery service at Hospital La Luz in Madrid, Doctor Nestor Montesdeocahas developed a new mandibular advancement device. A device capable of obtaining results similar to CPAP, but with much greater adherence and patient satisfaction.
This project, created jointly with engineers from the mechanical engineering department of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), began its development about three years ago. And since 2020 it is ready to be marketed.
What does it consist of?
This device advances the jaw to correct the problem of sleep apnea. Doctor Néstor Montesdeoca explains that This device consists of two splints. One for the upper jaw and one for the lower jaw. connected by a mechanism that progressively advances the mandible.
The objective of this invention is to move the jaw forward to free the retropharyngeal space and prevent the tongue from falling backwards and obstructing it when sleeping.. “The tongue is anchored to the jaw, if you advance the jaw you prevent the tongue from collapsing the airway,” says the surgeon at Hospital La Luz.
The mandible is progressively advanced until the patient experiences an improvement in their night’s sleep. “Or do a sleep study and verify that the patient has really reduced his apnea episodes,” explains Montesdeoca.
The mandibular advancement device works in the same way as CPAP, that is, must always be worn at night. Doctor Néstor Montesdeoca indicates that this system has been manufactured with a series of pre-established measures. In this way, “the costs of the device are reduced because you do not have to go through a dental laboratory and you put this technology in the hands of other professionals with patients with sleep apnea”, details the surgeon.
It may interest you: Do illnesses have a schedule? Myocardial infarctions are more deadly between 8 and 10 in the morning
However, the expert clarifies that “at no time should it be done by the patient himself, always needs medical supervision«. Because, as Dr. Montesdeoca points out, “when these devices are used for a long time, the teeth tend to move forward a little. This must be controlled with a series of exercises in the morning and with repositioning splints & rdquor ;.
Its use is approved for mild and moderate apneas, but it can be useful even in the most severe cases. According to Néstor Montesdeoca, “although you may not be able to cure the problem in a patient with severe apnea, it has been shown to reduce its severity and associated complications.”
Instead, not valid in case of missing teeth, periodontal disease or problems in the temporomandibular joint. Its main advantages include greater adherence and satisfaction compared to CPAP.
Finally, this serial device is also used to check whether or not the patient is a candidate for a laboratory model, which has personalized measurements.
Remember that apnea and snoring are not the same, although it is very common for those who suffer from the former to snore regularly.
But snoring is nothing more than the noise that is produced by the vibration of the soft palate and the bell during breathing. And that fact does not represent a risk to health, although it can cause personal and social relationship or couple problems.
Snoring has a high incidence, increasing in frequency over the years. It is estimated that from the age of 60, 60% of men and 40% of women snore, being three times more frequent in obese people.
However, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) in the general population occurs in 24% of men and 9% of women, although only between 5 and 9% of these patients are diagnosed and treated.