Obstructive sleep apnea: a follow-up program in its relation to temporomandibular joint disorder, sleep bruxism and orofacial pain

Objective To evaluate the correlation between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) morphology, tooth wear condition, orofacial pain through a follow-up program.

Materials and methods Seventy one OSA patients were divided into three groups according to their (apnea hypopnea index) AHI: mild group (n=23), moderate group (n=24), and severe group (n=24). All patients had OSA therapies around six months after confirm the diagnosis of OSA. The tooth wear score and orofacial pain condition of all patients were recorded via clinical examination. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were also taken when confirm the diagnosis of OSA (T0), 6 months after the diagnosis (T1), and 6 months after the OSA treatment (T2). Parameters indicating the condylar morphology and joint space were evaluated. The differences of clinical symptoms and TMJ conditions among T0, T1 and T2 time point were detected in the three groups respectively. The changes in T1- T0 and T2-T1 of all descriptions among three groups were also compared. The correlations between AHI and clinical symptoms were detected with Spearman correlation analysis.

Results In mild group, there was no difference in all clinical symptoms and TMJ morphology among the three time points. Both in moderate and severe group, the condylar volume, superficial area, wear score, visual analogue scales (VAS), and R value (indicating condyle position) displayed significant differences among the three time points (P<0.05). From T0 to T1, mild group displayed fewer decreases in the condylar volume and superficial area and fewer increases in wear score than that in moderate and severe group (P<0.05). From T1 to T2, there was a greatest reduction in severe group for R value, and significant difference in the description of VAS and R value were found among the three groups. AHI was negatively correlated condylar volume and condylar superficial area, and was positively correlated with tooth wear score and VAS (P<0.05).

Conclusion Moderate to severe OSA will aggravate orofacial pain and tooth wear, affect TMJ volume and superficial area, even change the location of condyles. Appropriate OSA therapies may be effective ways to alleviate these adverse effects in long-term.

Keywords OSA, TMJ, Tooth wear, Orofacial pain

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