Is recurrent parotitis in childhood still an enigma? A pilot experience.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that dental malocclusion with mandibular misplacement may be a causative factor for recurrent parotitis (RP) through unbalancing of masticatory muscles.

Methods: Thirteen patients (age 4-14 years) who were referred to a dental clinic for RP and malocclusion were treated by oral appliance positioning for a 6-month period. Monthly visits were scheduled regularly.

Autonomic cardiac modulation in obstructive sleep apnea: effect of an oral jaw-positioning appliance.

Background: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are characterized by deranged cardiovascular variability, a well-established marker of cardiovascular risk. While long-term treatment with continuous positive airway pressure leads to a significant improvement of cardiovascular variability, little is known of the possibility of achieving the same results with other therapeutic approaches. The aim of our study was to investigate the responses of autonomic indexes of neural cardiac control to another type of OSA treatment based on an oral jaw-positioning appliance.

Randomized controlled study of an oral jaw-positioning appliance for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children with malocclusion.

To evaluate the clinical usefulness and tolerability of an oral jaw-positioning appliance in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children, we studied 32 patients (mean age, 7.1 +/- 2.6 yr; 20 males) with symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, malocclusion, and a baseline apnea index > 1 event/h.