- Email: [email protected]
Websites on Oral Appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Medicine 4 (2003) 77–78 www.elsevier.com/locate/sleep
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Websites on Oral Appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Samuel R. Zwetchkenbaum a, Alon Y. Avidan b a
b
Department of Hospital Dentistry/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Websites on oral appliances for sleep apnea are numerous and can come through a number of sources. They may be developed by dentists who are providing this service in either an academic or private practice setting. Others have been developed by the laboratories which fabricate the appliances. Some laboratories fabricate a wide range of appliances and give information about each, where others focus on just one appliance, usually the appliance which that lab developed and markets. The following is a synopsis of representative websites dealing with oral devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (ADSM), an international professional society for dentists providing oral appliances for sleep disordered breathing, has a website (http://www.dentalsleepmed.org) with sections providing patient information and a section for members. The site informs members of services of the academy, including publications, meetings, and tools to help practitioners function in their community. The site maintains an up-to-date bibliography of research, however like most of the valuable information on this site, this is only available to members. A listserv called dental-sleep is sponsored by the Academy for members and is available as a way for dentists from around the world to ask questions and engage in conversation about oral appliances and current research (mailto:[email protected]). Discussion often focuses on side-effects that new practitioners have observed and they seek guidance from the more experienced. Dr Alan Lowe, developer of the Kleerway appliance, from the University of British Columbia presents in their website, http://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/research/lowe, a look at obstructive sleep apnea and oral appliances. The site describes his program which has active clinical and research components and provides a bibliography of his papers. Several of the articles are provided in full-text format with a comprehensive list of references. While the site does tend to favor the Kleerway appliance, it provides excellent patient information and encourages those patients surfing
the net to seek a multidisciplinary approach. Other university-based programs are beginning to appear on the web. B. Gail Demko, DMD, a practitioner with many years experience working with oral appliances, put together http://www.sleepapneadentist.com which reviews obstructive sleep apnea and its treatment, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved oral appliances. This is a good site for both patient and provider education as Dr Demko uses a variety of appliances and points out the pluses and minuses if each. There are also sections with references and resources. Part of the beauty of the internet is access to scientific articles, position papers, and PowerPoint presentations. Some nice examples are through the various academies and universities, including an American Association of Sleep Disorders review on AASM-net, http://www.aasmnet.org/ PDF/OralReview.pdf, and a presentation on sleep apnea and oral appliances from Allan G. Hynes, DDS of the Ohio State Dental residency program at http://www.dent. ohio-state.edu/postdocgd/Residents/SleepApneahandout. pdf. Websites of the laboratories that fabricate appliances usually have sections for both professionals, which provides prescribing and usage information, and potential patients, which encourages patients to seek help. For example, http://www.zachsleep.com, presented by a dental laboratory in the United Kingdom, is intended for dentists, and their patient area is http://www.snorer.com. The site describes various appliances in words and pictures, such as the tongue retaining device, the Thornton Adjustable Positioner, and others, and includes a downloadable prescription to facilitate providing appliances for patients. Other laboratories with websites include: Great Lakes Orthodontics, http://www.greatlakesortho.com/ laborat2.htm#Sleep%20Apnea; Dental Services Group out of Minneapolis, developers of the P.M. Positioner, a titratable mandibular advancement appliance. That website, http://www.pmpositioner.com, also contains information for both patient and provider. Also of interest is the OPAP, or Oral Pressure APpliance
1389-9457/02/$ - see front matter q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S1 389-9457(02)00 252-6
78
S.R. Zwetchkenbaum, A.Y. Avidan / Sleep Medicine 4 (2003) 77–78
which is used to allow use of CPAP orally. The website, http://www.opap.com, gives a comprehensive review of the appliance’s use, along with the ability to download information for patients. Found on this site are testimonials, comparisons with other products, technical information, and a laboratory order form. With the current expansion of internet information regarding sleep medicine, we were successful in identifying
some unique sites offering information to both patients and practitioners regarding oral appliance use in sleep apnea. A small disclaimer: websites frequently emerge, disappear, and change: sites discussed in this article will be different one year from now. Still, the authors believe that with the increased search for alternatives to CPAP, the availability of information on oral appliances is a welcome addition to the already expanding internet information.
Web Watch
Websites on Oral Appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Samuel R. Zwetchkenbaum a, Alon Y. Avidan b a
b
Department of Hospital Dentistry/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Websites on oral appliances for sleep apnea are numerous and can come through a number of sources. They may be developed by dentists who are providing this service in either an academic or private practice setting. Others have been developed by the laboratories which fabricate the appliances. Some laboratories fabricate a wide range of appliances and give information about each, where others focus on just one appliance, usually the appliance which that lab developed and markets. The following is a synopsis of representative websites dealing with oral devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (ADSM), an international professional society for dentists providing oral appliances for sleep disordered breathing, has a website (http://www.dentalsleepmed.org) with sections providing patient information and a section for members. The site informs members of services of the academy, including publications, meetings, and tools to help practitioners function in their community. The site maintains an up-to-date bibliography of research, however like most of the valuable information on this site, this is only available to members. A listserv called dental-sleep is sponsored by the Academy for members and is available as a way for dentists from around the world to ask questions and engage in conversation about oral appliances and current research (mailto:[email protected]). Discussion often focuses on side-effects that new practitioners have observed and they seek guidance from the more experienced. Dr Alan Lowe, developer of the Kleerway appliance, from the University of British Columbia presents in their website, http://www.dentistry.ubc.ca/research/lowe, a look at obstructive sleep apnea and oral appliances. The site describes his program which has active clinical and research components and provides a bibliography of his papers. Several of the articles are provided in full-text format with a comprehensive list of references. While the site does tend to favor the Kleerway appliance, it provides excellent patient information and encourages those patients surfing
the net to seek a multidisciplinary approach. Other university-based programs are beginning to appear on the web. B. Gail Demko, DMD, a practitioner with many years experience working with oral appliances, put together http://www.sleepapneadentist.com which reviews obstructive sleep apnea and its treatment, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved oral appliances. This is a good site for both patient and provider education as Dr Demko uses a variety of appliances and points out the pluses and minuses if each. There are also sections with references and resources. Part of the beauty of the internet is access to scientific articles, position papers, and PowerPoint presentations. Some nice examples are through the various academies and universities, including an American Association of Sleep Disorders review on AASM-net, http://www.aasmnet.org/ PDF/OralReview.pdf, and a presentation on sleep apnea and oral appliances from Allan G. Hynes, DDS of the Ohio State Dental residency program at http://www.dent. ohio-state.edu/postdocgd/Residents/SleepApneahandout. pdf. Websites of the laboratories that fabricate appliances usually have sections for both professionals, which provides prescribing and usage information, and potential patients, which encourages patients to seek help. For example, http://www.zachsleep.com, presented by a dental laboratory in the United Kingdom, is intended for dentists, and their patient area is http://www.snorer.com. The site describes various appliances in words and pictures, such as the tongue retaining device, the Thornton Adjustable Positioner, and others, and includes a downloadable prescription to facilitate providing appliances for patients. Other laboratories with websites include: Great Lakes Orthodontics, http://www.greatlakesortho.com/ laborat2.htm#Sleep%20Apnea; Dental Services Group out of Minneapolis, developers of the P.M. Positioner, a titratable mandibular advancement appliance. That website, http://www.pmpositioner.com, also contains information for both patient and provider. Also of interest is the OPAP, or Oral Pressure APpliance
1389-9457/02/$ - see front matter q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S1 389-9457(02)00 252-6
78
S.R. Zwetchkenbaum, A.Y. Avidan / Sleep Medicine 4 (2003) 77–78
which is used to allow use of CPAP orally. The website, http://www.opap.com, gives a comprehensive review of the appliance’s use, along with the ability to download information for patients. Found on this site are testimonials, comparisons with other products, technical information, and a laboratory order form. With the current expansion of internet information regarding sleep medicine, we were successful in identifying
some unique sites offering information to both patients and practitioners regarding oral appliance use in sleep apnea. A small disclaimer: websites frequently emerge, disappear, and change: sites discussed in this article will be different one year from now. Still, the authors believe that with the increased search for alternatives to CPAP, the availability of information on oral appliances is a welcome addition to the already expanding internet information.