Obligatory nasal breathing: effects on snoring and sleep apnoea.
OBJECTIVE
To test the effects on snoring and sleep disordered breathing of a dental prosthesis (Snore-No-More) which is designed to decrease snoring by preventing mouth breathing during sleep.


METHODS
A crossover controlled trial. Each subject was studied on two nights a week apart. There was a control (no treatment) night and an experimental (treatment) night. The order of control and experimental nights was randomised.


METHODS
The Royal Adelaide Hospital Sleep Laboratory.


METHODS
Fourteen male volunteers (age range, 36-59 years) were studied. All had a history of chronic snoring but denied other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.


METHODS
On experimental nights subjects wore the dental prosthesis for the whole study period. On control nights no device was worn.


METHODS
Studies were conducted overnight during the subject's normal sleep period. The following measurements were made: (i) frequency and loudness of snores; (ii) frequency of disordered breathing events (apnoeas and hypopnoeas); (iii) mean and minimum arterial oxygen saturation while asleep; and (iv) sleep stages.


RESULTS
The dental prosthesis did not change the mean frequency or mean intensity of snores. The number of sleep disordered breathing events per hour of sleep decreased by approximately one-third on experimental nights (mean +/- SEM events/h: control, 24.7 +/- 5.3; experimental, 16.1 +/- 3.3, P less than 0.05). Neither sleep architecture nor arterial oxygen saturation differed between control and experimental nights.


CONCLUSIONS
Snores using the dental prosthesis Snore-No-More to produce obligatory nasal breathing are unlikely to experience clinical benefit.
Bushell
M K
MK
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, SA.
Baldock
P J
PJ
Antic
R
R
Thornton
A T
AT
McEvoy
R D
RD
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003779:Denture Design; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012913:Snoring / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*