This educational series presents the latest evidence-based instruction on the use of oral appliance therapy for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. It covers the indications, contraindications, and clinical application of oral appliance therapy, which  may be less familiar to clinicians than positive airway pressure therapy.

Sleep medicine is an ever-evolving multidisciplinary field. The socioeconomic and health impacts of poor-quality sleep have been well documented, and the complex nature of sleep disturbances has led a diverse group of clinical specialists to address the needs of those with sleep disorders. Today, sleep specialists come from many fields, including internal medicine, pediatrics, neurology, behavioral medicine, surgery, and dentistry.

Each discipline offers a unique set of approaches and options for the treatment of patients with sleep disorders. It is essential for sleep team members to be familiar with the growing number of treatment options for sleep disorders, and they need to know how they might be called to interface with these modalities of treatment..

Module Topics: 

1. Introduction to Oral Appliance Therapy for OSA
2. A Patient's Journey with Oral Appliance Therapy 
3. Anatomy/physiology of sleep apnea and how an oral appliance addresses pathophysiology
4. Clinical Considerations for The Oral Appliance Therapy Patient
5. Technologist Guide to Oral Appliance Combination Therapy 
6. Oral appliance therapy for OSA with comorbidities

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to: 

1.    Discuss the various types of appliances that are available and to understand which types of appliances are preferred for OAT.

2.    Understand the anatomy and physiology of OSA and how OAT addresses the pathophysiology.

3.    Discuss the clinical considerations and patient characteristics that might qualify the patient as a candidate for OAT.

4.    Understand the “patient journey” from diagnosis with OSA through to the successful employment of OAT for OSA.

5.    Discuss the clinical outcomes of OAT, including the specific ways in which the clinical polysomnographer may be directly involved in the evaluation and application of OAT in the sleep laboratory.

6.    Understand the evolving future of OAT in the personalized care of individuals requiring treatment of OSA.

Estimated time to complete: 6 hours