The AASM and AADSM have six clinical recommendations for treating patients with snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.
1.) We recommend that sleep doctors treat adult patients with primary snoring and no obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances.
2.) We recommend that dentists use a titratable, custom appliance for adults with obstructive sleep apnea.
3.) We recommend that adults patients who cannot tolerate the CPAP treatment or prefer another treatment be treated with oral appliance therapy.
4.) We recommend that patients follow-up with their dentists. This will ensure that patients are not developing any bite changes or dental-related side effects.
5.) We recommend that sleep doctors perform follow-up testing in order to ensure that the treatment is working for patients who use oral appliance therapy.
6.) We recommend that both dentists and sleep physicians instruct patients who have obstructive sleep apnea and are being treated with oral appliance therapy to return to the office periodically for checkups.