Efficacy of the Silensor for treating obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Introduction: Although mandibular repositioning devices were found to be very effective for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS), they can cause side effects such as temporomandibular joint disorder and occlusal deviation. A semi-rigid device with a low frequency of side effects, the Silensor, (Erkodent Gmbh, Tuttlingen, Germany) was reported previously. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Silensor is effective for treating OSAS. Materials and methods: Thirty-five OSAS patients (27 males and 8 females) who were treated with the Silensor were enrolled in this study. The mean age and body mass index of the patients were 52.2 years (23-72 years) and 24.5 kg/m² (19.3-31.6 kg/m²), respectively. The patients were classified into two groups based on the length of the apparatus connector: 0-2 or 3-4 mm. A polysomnography test was performed twice, at the first visit and after the improvement of subjective symptoms. These data were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The apnea-hypopnea index significantly improved in all OSAS patients, the mild to moderate OSAS patients, severe OSAS patients, 0- to 2-mm group, and the 3- to 4-mm group (91.4 %; p < 0.01, 88.9 %; p < 0.01, 100 %; p < 0.05, 86.4 %; p < 0.01, 100 %; p < 0.01, respectively). The only side effects of the Silensor were broken apparatus and damage to the buccal mucosa. Discussion: The Silensor is useful for the treatment of OSAS. In particular, the Silensor is suitable for the first phase of OSAS treatment with oral appliances because the efficacy of the Silensor was equal to that of other oral appliances and had few side effects.