Obstructive Sleepapnea-Epidemiology, Consequencies and Prosthetic Rehabilitation.A Review

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is recognized as an important health issue in the last two to three decades. It is characterized by frequent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep, causing recurrent arousals, intermittent hypoxaemia, sleep fragmentation and poor sleep quality. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disorder with significant co-morbidities. There are evidences that OSA is being considered as an independent risk factor for hypertension, glucose intolerance/diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and stroke, leading to increased cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. Early recognition and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea may prevent adverse health consequences. In this sense, treating the patient with obstructive sleep apnea requires a long-term partnership between patient and healthcare providers. With a strong partnership, obstructive sleep apnea may be effectively treated in the growing numbers of patients. In this article some of the epidemiological aspects, consequences, medical and dental treatment options of obstructive sleep apnea are reviewed.