PILOT-STUDY OF A SEMIFLEXIBLE INTRAORAL APPLIANCE FOR THE CONTROL OF SNORING

Objective To determine the effectiveness and acceptability of an intra -oral appliance in the reduction of snoring, with construction and fit ting as a 1-visit process. Design and setting This was a prospective s tudy. Patients were attending a hospital sleep breathing disorders cli nic and appliances were made at a dental hospital. This work was carri ed out in the UK during 1996 and 1997. Subjects and methods Patients w ere selected from those referred to a sleep breathing disorders clinic with socially disruptive snoring. Main outcome measures Patients were assessed by means of limited sleep studies and by questionnaires befo re and after fitting of the appliances. The sleep studies consisted of monitoring respiratory variables (principally oronasal airflow and no cturnal oxygen saturation). A respiratory disturbance index was assign ed. Questionnaires were completed by both patients and sleep partners, with many of the responses being marked on visual analogue scales. Re sults 16 male patients, mean age 49 years, were included in the trial. 14 were able to wear the appliance and their level of snoring, as ass essed by their sleep partners, reduced from a mean of 8.8 out of 10 to 4.2 out of 10 (P = 0.0003, paired t-test). Conclusion It is concluded that the semi-flexible intra-oral appliance is effective in the contr ol of snoring.