Treatment Options for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Authors

Shao-Chih Hsieh, Department of Orthodontics, Dental Clinics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Szu-Ting Chou, Department of Orthodontics, Dental Clinics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Dentistry and Graduate Program of Dental Science, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Yu-Chuan Tseng, Department of Orthodontics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital; School of Dentistry and Graduate Program of Dental Science, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.Follow

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is sleep-disordered breathing caused by the collapse of the upper airway. Because anatomical abnormalities of the narrow upper airway are undoubtedly the most critical cause of OSA, the available treatment methods for OSA mostly focus on these anatomical problems. The collapse of the respiratory tract is associated with different levels of upper airway obstruction. The obstruction of the airway can be divided into three parts: the nasal cavity, retropalatal region, and retrolingual region. This article summarizes some common OSA treatment methods, their underlying theories, and their effect on the upper airway.

Recommended Citation

Hsieh, Shao-Chih; Chou, Szu-Ting; and Tseng, Yu-Chuan (2020) "Treatment Options for Obstructive Sleep Apnea," Taiwanese Journal of Orthodontics: Vol. 32: Iss. 1, Article 2.
https://doi.org/10.30036/TJO.202003_32(1).0002
Available at: https://www.tjo.org.tw/tjo/vol32/iss1/2

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