Abstract

BERNAL-ALZATE, María Alejandra; ABAUNZA-ZAFRA, Liliana  and  SUAREZ-FAJARDO, Ingrid Giovana. The dentist’s role in obstructive sleep apnea intervention. CES odontol. [online]. 2020, vol.33, n.2, pp.128-135.  Epub July 21, 2021. ISSN 0120-971X.  https://doi.org/10.21615/cesodon.33.2.11.

Obstructive sleep apnea is an entity that affects breathing during sleep, where episodes of partial or total closure of the upper airway occur, limiting or completely ceasing the air flow. To recover it there is an arousal, activating the muscles involved in the breathing process. There are pathologies associated with this phenomenon that threaten the quality of life of the individuals who suffer it; as well as oral cavity manifestations that can trigger different oral health problems. This work emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary management of obstructive sleep apnea for the application of reciprocity within the different specialties involved in the diagnosis and intervention of this entity. The dentist plays an important role in the management of this entity, expanding its spectrum in academic education including this phenomenon in its curriculum. Tools to identify at-risk patients are integrated, making a presumptive diagnosis of this phenomenon, in addition to identifying the presence of oral disease associated with obstructive sleep apnea and being an active part of the intervention by designing and implementing efficient and necessary oral appliances; likewise adherence control of patients to treatment and on their oral health. Therefore, a review of the literature was made from the first reports on obstructive sleep apnea to the present.

Keywords : sleep apnea, obstructive; dentistry; diagnosis; treatment; history..

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