Making the case for oral appliances

The event, being held in Gateshead from October 22-24, will feature a joint symposium with the BSDSM on the Friday morning entitled 'Sleep apnoea from a dental perspective' and make the case for oral appliances in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

The speakers will be Aditi Desai (recently elected president of the BSDSM), Roy Dookun (past president of the BSDSM) and Ian Ormiston, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Aditi said: "There appears to be a barrier to prescription of oral appliances by physicians. While they are the first-line treatment for primary snoring and mild to moderate OSA, oral appliances have not routinely been offered as an alternative treatment alongside continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Oral appliances should be considered to improve the quality of life of as many people as possible who suffer with the debilitating disease of OSA, especially if they are unable to tolerate or accept CPAP therapy. The BSDSM speakers will make the case for oral appliances in the treatment of OSA."