Cautionary notes on the undesirable secondary effects of long term orthopedic and ventilation mask therapy in the treatment of OSAS

Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are caused by repetitive dynamic closure of the oropharyngeal airway. There exists substantial and growing epidemiologic evidence that OSA is associated with a variety of systemic conditions, including but not limited to, systemic hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure, increased motor vehicle accidents, impaired quality of living and mortality. There is an equal amount of literature on the use of dental appliances as a treatment modality for OSA. The object of this report is to review the literature in regards to three vital aspects of this disease: a) the etiology and sequela of OSA; b) the dental management of the condition and its mode of action; and lastly, c) the positive and negative outcomes/risks, of dental management.