Side Effects of Mandibular Advancement Devices

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SBAS), particularly obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), are one of the most common causes of non-restorative sleep. Disturbances of sleep disorders include apneas and hypopneas associated with either or not pharyngeal obstruction and hypoventilation. Depending on the type of respiratory disorder present, they are associated with hypoxemia and may cause hypercapnia or acidosis The consequences of obstructive narrowing of the pharynx are far-reaching. Studies have shown that patients with OSAS have comorbidities such as neurological complaints, heart attacks, dementia, cardiovascular complaints, myocardial infarction, and a higher mortality rate. Sleep fragmentation caused by respiratory disorders during sleep and wakefulness reactions (arousals) can lead to daytime sleepiness and concentration disorders. In the longer term untreated arousals and apneas are associated with an increased risk for arterial hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus and libido loss. OSAS management includes positive pressure ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks, mandibular advancement of the mandible with mandibular advancement devices (MAD), weight loss, ear, nose and throat surgical procedures, bimaxillary or mandibular remodeling osteotomies, and neurostimulation procedures of the hypoglossal nerve. Several studies have shown that the use of MADs is inferior in reducing the severity of OSAS in comparison to CPAP therapy, but its efficacy is comparable and preferred by patients in mild to moderate OSAS. Due to the forward displacement of the lower jaw for several hours at night, similar symptoms as in temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) patients may occur. The symptoms may be pain or stiffness on the masticatory muscles or temporomandibular joints. This study aims to identify possible side effects in the temporomandibular system that occur during the course of two years of nocturnal MAD delivery. Two different appliance systems are compared in terms of construction height (bite elevation) and protrusion mechanics: the H-MAD ™ with a hinge system according to Herbst and the SomnoDent Fusion ™ (called F-MAD) with sliding side wings.