Year : 2018

Volume : Volume 9

Issue : Issue 3

Abstract

Background:  Oral appliance (OA) can effectively treat obstructive sleep apnea; however, numerous types of oral appliances and designs are variable and the precise mechanisms behind differences in treatment outcomes are uncertain. Aim of the study: To study the effect of jaw opening exercise on prevention of temporomandibular disorders pain associated with oral appliance therapy in obstructive sleep apnea patient.  Materials and methods: The present study was conducted in the Dental institute. Ethical clearance was obtained from the ethical board of the institute. For the study, only those patients were selected who had been diagnosed for sleep disorders using polysomnography (PSG) according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines in 2007. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 55 years. Patients who had BMI more than 30 kg/m2, who had other sleep disorders and who had previously been treated for OSA were excluded from the study. The subjects were equally divided into two random groups, jaw opening exercise group (JE) and placebo exercise (PE). OA compliance, TMD signs and treatment outcomes were evaluated prior to start of exercises and at intervals of 1 month.  Results: A total of 20 subjects with confirmed diagnosis of sleep apnea were recruited in the study. 10 subjects were grouped into JE group and 10 in PE group. We observed that apnea hypopnea index, sleep efficiency, Rem sleep and Arousal index improved significantly in JE group. On the other hand, there was not any significant improvements in the treatment outcomes in JE group.  Conclusion:  From the results of the present study this can be concluded that jaw opening exercises are highly efficacious in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and should be the first treatment of choice.

Keywords: Oral appliance, sleep apnea, jaw exercises.