Effect of mandibular advancement device on the stomatognathic system in patients with mild‐to‐moderate obstructive sleep apnoea‐hypopnoea syndrome

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the changes of temporomandibular joints (TMJs) through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and the electrical changes in mandibular movement and masticatory muscle surface of mild‐to‐moderate obstructive sleep apnoea‐hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) patients before and after treatment with mandibular advancement device (MAD). Methods This was a single‐centre, prospective study recruiting OSAHS patients undergoing treatment with MAD in Department of Stomatology, Yannan Hospital, Kunming, China. Patients were recruited from February 2015 to October 2015, and TMJ changes were observed in MRI scanning before and after 18 months of treatment with MAD in cohort 1. The second cohort of the patients were recruited from January 2014 to September 2015 and electrical changes in mandibular movement and masticatory muscle surface of patients before and after 6 months of treatment with MAD. Results In the cohort 1, TMJ changes analysed through MRI scanning, before and after 18‐month treatment with MAD, there was no significant deviation in the angle of joint disc position. A minor change in the position relationship between condylar process, articular disc and articular fossa but not significant was observed. There was no significant difference in the shape and magnitude of mandibular incision edge movement, percussion movement, masticatory movement and condylar central trajectory among the recruited OSAHS patients, before and after 6 months of MAD treatment as analysed through electromyography. Conclusion In this study, from the results it was evident that the effect of MAD on the stomatognathic system of OSAHS patients is minimal.