CONTINUING EDUCATION 3D orthopedic development for pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Dr. Steven R. Olmos offers information to raise awareness about the signs and treatment of OSA his article seeks to evaluate the 3D Tvolumetric changes that are necessary Educational aims and objectives to treat pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea This article aims to raise awareness about the signs and treatment of OSA. (OSA). Adult static therapies are not Expected outcomes indicated for children. Children require Orthodontic Practice US subscribers can answer the CE questions on page XX to dynamic therapies to encourage and correct earn 2 hours of CE from reading this article. Correctly answering the questions will skeletal development to improve sleep- demonstrate the reader can: breathing disorders. Formulas for arch width • Recognize the risks of OSA in children. • Recognize some of the symptoms of OSA in children. expansion are currently based on dental • Identify some orthodontic treatment options for children with OSA. space and skeletal calculations and are • Realize some of the symptoms and treatments for OSA in adults. not applicable nor are they validated in the treatment of pediatric OSA. Treating children with OSA requires a new formula of skeletal diagnosis. After diagnosis, OSA has been therapies used for adults to treat OSA development for both maxilla and mandible associated with incidences of endocrine, prevent proper skeletal development such based on correction of the immediate medical nutritional, and metabolic diseases (OR as CPAP (headgear effect) and static oral problem evaluated by overnight sleep testing 1.78, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.45), nervous condi- appliances. Adult surgeries such as uvulo- called polysomnography (PSG) (attended) or tions (OR 3.16, 95% CI 2.58 to 3.89), ENT palatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), nasal correc- home sleep testing (HST) (unattended). diseases (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.84), tive surgery, and tongue reduction are The awareness and treatment for OSA is respiratory system diseases (OR 1.94, 95% contraindicated in children. the fastest growing segment of dentistry. The CI 1.70 to 2.22), skin conditions (OR 1.42, Tonsil and adenoid surgery is effec- Council on Dental Accreditation now requires 95% CI 1.06 to 1.89), musculoskeletal tive for children for a short time; however, a course in sleep pathology. The education diseases (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.64), studies show that there is a high relapse of sleep-breathing disorders in the under- congenital malformations (OR 1.83, 95% after 6 months.13-16 Dento-facial develop- graduate dental curriculum in the United CI 1.51 to 2.22), abnormal clinical or labo- ment in snoring children is not changed States is less than 1 hour per year.1 All of the ratory findings.4 Children with OSA suffer by adenotonsillar surgery regardless of education currently provided in dental school from immune suppression, attention deficit symptom relief as stated in otorhinolaryn- curriculums and most postgraduate educa- hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), heart rate/ gology literature. It is recommended that tion is based on the treatment for adults. blood pressure variability, neurocognitive, “If snoring persists or relapses, that ortho- Successful treatment for adults includes and endothelial inflammation.5-8 dontic maxillary widening and/or functional positive pressure devices, oral appliances, Prevalence rates for pediatric OSA range training should be considered. Collabora- oral soft tissue implants or surgery, nasal between 1.2% and 5.7%.9-11 These figures tion between otorhinolaryngologist, ortho- surgery, bi-maxillary advancement surgery, are likely low as screening for pediatric OSA dontists, and speech language pathologists hypoglossal nerve stimulation, myofunctional is not common in most medical or dental is strongly recommended.”17 Enlargement of therapy, diet, exercise, or a hybrid of any of practices. the lymphatic tissue may be a consequence the above. Unfortunately for most adults, The American Academy of Pediatrics of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).18 OSA can only be managed for the rest of since 2012 has made the following Palatal expansion has been shown to their lives. recommendations: reduce apnea, increase nasal volume, correct In children, orthodontists have the ability 1. All children/adolescents should be skeletal deformities related to breathing to make significant improvement and, in screened for snoring. dysfunction, improve sleep-related symp- some cases, cure the condition.2-3 This is 2. Polysomnography should be toms such as fatigue, nocturnal enuresis, significant, as children with OSA have a performed in children/adolescents conductive hearing loss, restore proper func- sevenfold risk of mortality and had greater with snoring and symptoms/signs tional nasal breathing, and uprighting head morbidity at least 3 years before their of OSAS.12 posture.19-25 Efficacy of orthodontic therapy for pedi- 3D orthopedic treatment for pedi- atric OSA is increased when treated at 26 Steven R. Olmos, DDS, is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the atric OSA earliest onset of symptoms. Benefits of Department of Bioscience Research at the College of Dentistry, Treating children with OSA requires palatal expansion for OSA symptoms have University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, immediate and effective therapy throughout been demonstrated to be long-standing in Tennessee. He practices at the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre in La Mesa, California. its course to ensure proper management 12-year follow-up utilizing PSG and Epworth for this serious medical problem. Static Sleepiness Scale (ESS).27 24 Orthodontic practice Volume 7 Number 2 CONTINUING EDUCATION Figure 1: 2.36% volumetric increase for each mm of expansion Figure 2 (Reprinted with permission of Dr. Melih Motro) Palatal expansion can be accomplished with expansion devices and myofunctional exercise therapies to increase nasal volume and restore proper functional nasal breathing. A recent study quantified the three-dimen- sional increase of volume of the nose with palatal expansion. It was found that there is a 2.36% volume increase with each milli- meter of transverse expansion (Figure 1). Another important finding is that this ratio was constant in the population base from 9- to 22-year-old patients.28 This challenges the belief that expansion is not possible in adults. Optimal outcome is accomplished with combined therapies. Palatal expansion has been performed for many years prior to the discovery of sleep-breathing disorders. Expansion tradi- tionally has been based on space necessary Figure 3 Figure 4 for dentition and dental alveolar bone aligned with opposing arch width, without evaluation length of a line that bisects the maxil- of nasal or sleep-breathing pathology. lary centrals (Figure 3). A historical review of expansion measure- • The Bolton Analysis states that the ment guides has been dependent on space sum of the mesiodistal widths of the for teeth. 12 mandibular teeth should be 91.3% Various arch width determination of the mesiodistal widths of the 12 methods are: maxillary teeth, and it is permissible • Pont’s analysis (1909), which has to extract teeth to accomplish this been disproven long ago, determined ratio (Figure 4). the premolar width by multiplying This may be the beginning of the thought the sum of the four maxillary incisors process for extraction for the space provided, Figure 5: Four points of obstruction length (SI) by 100 divided by 80. The without regard to the underdevelopment of molar width is determined by SI x 100 the arches and their relative skeletal position divided by 64. in regard to upper airway obstruction. respiratory function, and cardiac and periph- • Linder Harth Index uses the same Proper functional breathing is through the eral vasodilation that can reduce blood pres- calculations with slightly different nose. Air is warmed, moistened, filtered, and sure.29-38 It has been recommended that the numbers in his equation: SI x 100 mixed with nitric oxide (NO) gas, which is final endpoint in treating OSA is restoration divided by 85 for the premolar width drawn from the maxillary sinuses where it is of nasal breathing.39 and SI x 100 divided by 64 for the concentrated up to 40 times. NO is important Establishing/developing patency of the molar width (Figure 2). in mucociliary flow of the sinuses to ensure four points of obstruction (Figure 5) are • Korkhaus Analysis uses Linder clearing of inhaled materials and irritants, necessary to prevent orthodontic relapse, Harth’s formula and adds the antimicrobial effect on the lungs to prevent (anterior or posterior open bite). This is most Volume 7 Number 2 Orthodontic practice 25 CONTINUING EDUCATION evident in cases that have been retained with movements are not linear and are best vertical is beneficial for inflammatory bonded anterior archwires and even orthog- described as pitch (AP cant), roll (lateral cant), conditions of the TM joints, which is often nathic surgery with fixation plates (Figures and yaw (rotational cant). The coined term comorbid with sleep-breathing disorders in 6-10).40 Harvold, in his work with primates, “Airway Centric” is a physiological 3D posi- children. Uneven loading of the TM joints was the first to demonstrate craniofacial tioning that prevents airway muscle collapse in these asymmetric conditions may lead deformations and skeletal open bite with and increases oral volume, while improving to craniofacial deformity. One in six chil- silicon obstruction of their noses.41 orthopedic positioning and function of the dren and adolescents have clinical signs of A new paradigm is proposed that the TM joints.42 This technique is known as the TMJ disorders. determination of expansion of the maxilla Sibliant Phoneme Registration, which has and mandible in pediatric patients with OSA been shown to prevent airway collapse in be the optimal individual reduction of Apnea adults and currently is being researched for Hypopnea Index (AHI) and respiratory effort- pediatric OSA patients.43 Preventing airway related arousals (RERA), rather than the tradi- collapse is key in the treatment of obstruc- tional space for dentition.