NEW CLINICAL RESEARCH RECOMMENDS CPAP CAN BE REPLACED BY SLEEPPRO CUSTOM MOUTHPIECE

 

Although it has long been thought that an oral appliance, or Mandibular Adjustment Device (MAD), could be totally appropriate to treat mild to moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), there has been little definitive proof of this hypothesis – until this new research published in Thorax in the Autumn of 2014.

A new totally independent research study has been carried out by researchers at Papworth Hospital in England, with the twin objectives of comparing the clinical effectiveness, and the cost effectiveness of a broad range of MAD types, against no treatment, in mild to moderate OSA. Two of the MAD’s selected for the research were the sleepPro Easifit and the sleepPro Custom.

The selection of MAD’s included three very different types:

• Basic ‘boil and bite’ self-moulding versions,
• Semi-bespoke versions where a detailed mould is taken by the patient and then sent back for manufacture
• Fully bespoke versions such as those that are manufactured by the NHS for supply to patients. Of the three trialed versions, semi-bespoke types were by far the most effective with regards to both cost, and also with regard to clinical effectiveness and improvement.The two key recommendations for the semi-bespoke appliances such as sleepPro Custom, which was actually selected and used in the trial, are as follows:
• Semi-bespoke appliances such as sleepPro Custom should be offered as first line treatment for mild OSA
• Appliances such as sleepPro Custom should also be offered as an alternative to CPAP for moderate OSA