Response to letter to the Editor: Look at the elephant! Commentary on 'Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in adult obstructive sleep apnoea patients: A cross-sectional controlled study'.

Obstructive sleep apnoea and temporomandibular disorders are complex pathologies. Considering dento-skeletal occlusion as their main predisposing factor could be detrimental for optimal patient care.

Antero-Posterior Mandibular Excursion in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Treated with Mandibular Advancement Device: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Since obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management with a mandibular advancement device (MAD) is likely to be life-long, potential changes in mandibular movements during therapy should be investigated. The purpose of this study was to use a method that has already been shown to be reliable in order to determine whether the range of antero-posterior mandibular excursion, the procedure upon which MAD titration is based, varies between baseline (T0) and at least 1 year of treatment (T1). The distance between maximal voluntary protrusion and maximal voluntary retrusion determined using the millimetric scale of the George Gauge was retrospectively collected from the medical records of 59 OSA patients treated with the MAD and compared between T0 and T1.

Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in adult obstructive sleep apnoea patients: A cross-sectional controlled study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways during sleep and it has been associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) on the basis of several pathophysiological hypotheses.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of TMDs in a population of patients affected by OSA compared to a control group of subjects not affected by OSA.

Methods: A cross-sectional controlled study was conducted on a group subjects studied by polygraphy (PG) at the snoring section of the ENT department, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital - University of Bologna.

Maximum voluntary retrusion or habitual bite position for mandibular advancement assessment in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea patients.

Background: There is no consensus on whether the range of mandibular advancement for the construction of mandibular advancement devices in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients should be measured from a starting position of maximum voluntary retrusion or habitual bite position.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to investigate the differences in mandibular advancement registrations starting from maximum voluntary retrusion or from habitual bite position and to evaluate the reliability of these assessments.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 126 patients with OSA was performed.

Relationship between cephalometric parameters and the apnoea-hypopnoea index in OSA patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between cephalometric parameters and apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) controlling for the effect of gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) on a large sample of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on the lateral cephalograms of 253 Caucasian adult OSA patients. Cephalometric analyses were performed using 14 parameters for skeletal and soft tissue morphology, including antero-posterior and vertical jaw relationships, hyoid bone position, soft palate length and thickness, airway space, and tongue length and height.

Dentoskeletal effects of oral appliance wear in obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the dentoskeletal changes associated with long-term and continuous mandibular advancement device (MAD) use in sleep-related breathing disorder patients.

Methods: Cephalometric measurements and three-dimensional model analysis were performed at baseline and after 3.5 ± 1.