Alan A. Lowe, DMD, PhD, a professor at the University of British Columbia and chairman of the division of orthodontics, spoke about oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea at the American Association of Orthodontists meeting, reports Dr. Bicuspid.com.
A physician’s medical assessment of the patient should be done before starting therapy, Dr. Lowe said.
Practitioners should use titratable oral appliances that are custom-fit to patients, not “boil and bite” devices out of a box, Dr. Lowe said. Sleep physicians prescribe oral appliances for adult sleep apnea patients who can’t tolerate CPAP machines or prefer an alternative therapy, he said, adding that more physicians are referring patients for oral appliances as first-line therapy.
