Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the Role of the General Dentist: An Integrative Literature Review

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasing problem worldwide. It can be defined as the repetitive airway obstruction during sleep due to the collapse of the pharyngeal airway causing cessation of breathing. Many patients remain undiagnosed. The general dentist can play an important role in the recognition and initial diagnosis of OSA. Dentists are faced with the effects of OSA on the oral and systemic health of their patients in clinical practice.

Objectives: To summarize the role of the general dental practitioner as regards the early and initial diagnosis of OSA.

Methods: Electronic search of the PubMed database was performed to identify relevant studies published in the English-language from 2010 to present. The key words derived were obstructive sleep apnea AND general dentist. The search generated 11 articles. Only 8 satisfied the criterion of correlating the role of general dentist and OSA.

Results: Dentists could play an important role in suspecting OSA. Increased years of experience seem to be associated with lesser knowledge about OSA. Many dentists do not have any clinical experience regarding the management of OSA patients. Patients with sleep-disordered breathing can exhibit the same signs and symptoms as patients with temporomandibular joint problems and these symptoms can be misinterpreted as being dental in origin. Dentists have an important role in the diagnosis of breathing-related sleep disorders through evaluation of the predisposing skeletal factors, especially in the case of small upper maxillary and small and/or retropositioned mandible.

Conclusion: Early detection of ΟSA by the dental practitioner can lead to the prevention of co morbid diseases and improve the quality of life for many patients. Development of additional education and practical implementation strategies should be considered to educate general dentists.