Dental Appliances for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and objectives : Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a debilitating disease, difficult to treat. Dental appliances have been proposed as a valid therapy for improving functional outcomes with good compliance rates. Herein, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing clinical outcomes between OSA children treated with dental appliances versus controls. Materials Methods : The study was registered with PROSPERO. A systematic search was performed for all comparative studies examining outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent treatment of OSA with oral appliances versus controls. Data was extracted and analyzed using a random effects model via Rev Man 5.3. Results : Six studies including 180 patients were analyzed split into two groups: patients treated with dental appliances (n = 123) and the controls (n = 119). Therapy with dental appliances was shown to significantly improve the apnea-hypopnea index ( p = 0.009) and enlarge the superior posterior airway space ( p = 0.02). Maxilla-to-mandible measurements were not significantly different between the two groups, nor was the mean SO ₂ ( p = 0.80). Conclusions : This is the most updated meta-analysis assessing the role of dental appliances for OSA in children; it shows that such devices can improve functional outcomes by decreasing the apnea-hypopnea index.