title: Does an oral appliance reduce palatal flutter and tongue base snoring?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral appliances are designed to treat snoring and sleep apnea by advancing the mandible and tongue. We test the hypothesis that an oral appliance affects palatal snoring as well as tongue base obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational cohort study. Sixty patients with a chief complaint of snoring with or without apnea were enrolled. Each patient underwent a home sleep test followed by 3 weeks sleeping with an oral appliance. Each patient then underwent a repeat home sleep test while using the device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant improvement in the snores per hour (P = 0.0005), the maximum snoring loudness (P = 0.0001), average snoring loudness (P = 0.00001), and the percentage of palatal snoring (P = 0.0007). There was also a significant decrease in oxygen desaturation events (P = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests oral appliances may be effective treatment for both palatal and tongue base snoring.
authors.affiliation: Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, TX 78236, USA. loren.jones@lackland.af.mil
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stouder
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brietzke
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009968:Orthodontic Appliances, Removable; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology*