Oral Appliance Therapy as First Line Therapy for Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Oral Appliance Therapy Should be Reimbursed as a First-Line Therapy for OSA

Jennifer Q. Le, DMD, D.ABDSM, CPCC1, Jeff L. Rodgers, DMD, D.ABDSM, D.ASBA2, Kevin Postol, DDS, D.ABDSM3

1 Wake Dental Sleep Dental Solutions, 2 Sleep Better Georgia, 3 Sleep Disordered Dentistry

It is the position of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) that oral appliance therapy (OAT) should be reimbursed as a first-line therapy for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OAT has been deemed an alternate therapy for OSA,1, and numerous stud- ies have indicated that OAT is an effective treatment for sleep-related breathing disorders.2,3 The American Acad- emy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has also acknowledged that OAT should be considered if a patient does not wish to use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ther- apy.1

In their joint clinical practice guideline, the AADSM and the AASM stated that “[p]atient preference for OAs versus CPAP should be considered by the treating sleep physician before therapy is prescribed.”1 Patient treatment preference and choice can be critical in ensuring that pa- tients experience positive health outcomes. This paper ex- plores evidence regarding patient preference for OAT and how preference may lead to greater adherence and health improvement. Learn more.