An 18-month study involving sleep apnea patients at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie Murphy Division, is using an oral appliance called the Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP) to treat those suffering from moderate to severe sleep apnea. According to Dr. Paul McLornan, assistant professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center at San Antonio, many patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea were not adhering to standard treatment with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Dr. McLornan’s study proves that the TAP device, which is much smaller and fits in a patient’s mouth, is now an option for patients with severe sleep apnea. He states that it was previously thought that treatment for patients suffering from severe sleep apnea was limited to the use of the CPAP or surgery. This study adds to the body of medical and dental research literature by showing that oral appliances can be effective in treating people with severe sleep apnea. The device is less cumbersome, is better tolerated by patients, and is much less invasive and costly than the CPAP or surgery. Patients in the study were fitted with the TAP appliance and given a tiny key that fits in the front of the device. The patient was instructed to wear the appliance every night and to insert and turn the key several millimeters before bedtime. By turning the key, the patient pulls the lower jaw forward, thus creating an open airway in the throat. Patients told the researchers when they reached a point in the adjustments that felt comfortable and when they felt they were able to sleep without snoring or gasping. Then the patients were evaluated using standard sleep studies to determine whether or not their sleep had indeed improved. It was found that patients improved significantly using the TAP.
(Source: Mission, UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Spring 2009)
