prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and its association with oral health among subjects attending a dental institution ,VIRAJPET

Author(s):

Aesha Zafna

Background and Objectives: It may seem odd to speak about dental habits in relation to a sleep disorder, but OSA is a medical condition that affects one’s entire body including teeth and gums. Furthermore dentists are frequently involved in diagnosis and treatment of OSA. Dental sleep medicine is constantly evolving, and now studies show that oral health is associated with sleep disordered breathing. As dentists examines the oral cavity and also have a clear view of oral pharynx they can play a vital role in screening the patients with sleep disorders using validated questionnaires and further referring the patient to specialist department for final diagnosis, thus promoting the interdisciplinary approach. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess prevalence of OSA and its relation with oral health among subjects attending a dental college in Virajpet, India. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 740 adults aged 35 years-44 years in Virajpet, under a 2 step procedure. First socio demographic information was collected, followed by Berlin questionnaire to assess OSA and then clinical assessment of oral health was done using OHIS, DMFT and CPITN indices. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS version 17. Results: among the participants, in the non OSA group, 160 (47.2%) were males and 210 (52.4 %%) were females and in the OSA group, 179 (52.8%) were males and 191 (47.6%) were females. The mean age in years among non OSA group was found to be 40.12 and among OSA group were 40.05. Among the participants from non OSA group, 50.1%, brushed once daily and 49.8% brushed twice daily. Among the participants from the OSA group, 49.9 % and 50.2% brushed once and more than once respectively. Among the participants from non OSA group 48.6%, 51.4% used other aids and did not use other oral hygiene aids, among the participants from the study population, 51.4 % and 44.8% used other aids and did not use other oral hygiene aids. Among the non OSA group, mean DMFT score was 3.49 ± 2.75 and among the OSA group the mean DMFT score was 3.49 ± 2.83. It was found to be statistically non-significant (p=0.990). Among the non OSA group, mean OHIS score was 2.10 ± 0.95, and among the OSA group the mean OHIS score was 1.41 ± 0.63. It was found to be statistically highly significant (p=<0.001). Among the non OSA group, mean CPITN score was 1.98 ± 1.19, and among the study population the mean Conclusion: There is a great need of health education programs to educate and motivate population towards oral health and also to increase awareness of sleep disordered breathing.