Short-Term Change in Occlusal Function after Using Mandibular Advancement Appliance for Snoring : A Pilot Study

The main aim was to evaluate the influence on occlusal contact area (OCA), maximum bite force (MBF), center of occlusal load (COL), and tooth pain after the nocturnal use of different mandibular advance appliances (MAAs) for snoring. Subjects were consisted of ten adult volunteers with mild snoring in Hiroshima University Hospital. Recordings of occlusal function were performed six times for two hours, that is, immediately and 5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after the nocturnal use of MAA. The subjects continuously scored their pain intensity on a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) when MBF was measured. Comparing two MAAs, OCA and MBF were significantly larger in two-piece MAA than in one-piece MAA five minutes after removing the appliance. Significant difference in COL and VAS score compared to baseline disappeared more quickly with two-piece MAA than with one-piece MAA. In conclusion, it is shown that two-piece MAA could be superior to the one-piece one in terms of the degree side effect on occlusal function.