Abstract

Taking  into  account  the  relationship  between  the  airway  and  sleep  respiratory  disorders, and  the  increase  of  clinical  multidisciplinary  management,  the  dentist  whit  training  in  dental medicine sleep plays a very important role in the treatment of the obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea  syndrome  and  snoring.  The  purpose  of  this  review  article  is  to  describe  one of the treatments that has taken more strength the last decades to reduce the apnea / hypopnea index (AHI) of patients with Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS); I refer to  mandibular  advancement  devices  (MAD);  the  MAD  are  indicated  in  simple  snoring,  patients who have mild and moderate apnea and for patients who have obstructive severe sleep apnea when the patient has not had adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Patients with OSAHS have narrowing of the upper airway (VAS) during sleep; The MAD, by making advanced of the jaw and tongue, increases the space of the upper airway (VAS), preventing the tongue from collapsing later and stabilizing the muscles that support it. In patients with the following characteristics: a low or normal body mass index (BMI), reduced measurement of neck circumference and / or mandibular retrognathism, treatment with the mandibular advancement device (MAD) becomes more efficient. These devices improve the patient’s quality of life by decreasing cognitive and cardiovascular problems.

Keywords

sleep, apnea, snoring, oral devices, mandibular