Effect of Mandibular Advancement Splint in Edentulous Class II OSA Patients

The objective of this chapter is to evaluate the changes in upper airway volume and sleep parameters in edentulous class II OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) patients treated with mandibular advancement splint (MAS) fabricated at different jaw positions.

Thirty-five patients were chosen at random and separated into two groups, Group I and Group II, depending on inclusion and exclusion criteria. At both levels of mandibular advancement, all of the individuals showed an increase in pharyngeal volume. At 60 percent mandibular advancement, AHI values dropped from 21.76 to 15.82, and at 70 percent mandibular advancement, they dropped to 17.76. The following equation was constructed using regression analysis to evaluate the percentage change in pharyngeal volume at various stages of mandibular advancement. : Percentage change in volume (Y) = 0.347*X +57.55. Where percentage change in volume is dependent (Y) and percentage of mandibular advancement (X) is independent.

The mandibular advancement splint was found to be effective in expanding upper airway volume and lowering the severity of OSA in the current study. Also, up to a certain point, the percentage change in posterior pharyngeal volume is precisely proportional to mandibular advancement.