PREVALENCE AND RISKS OF HABITUAL SNORING AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS REPORTING TO ORTHODONTICS DEPARTMENT

Abstract

Objectives:Objective of this study was to determine prevalence and risks of habitual snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms in patients reporting to orthodontics department Khyber college of dentistry Peshawar.
Materials & Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 consecutive orthodontic patients. Both genders of age 18 to 50 years were included. Patients with cleft lip and palate, expectant women, and those unable to read were all excluded. Subjective and objective assessments were carried out. English version of the Berlin questionnaire was used to screen patients for OSA. An individual was considered at high risk for OSA if he/she scored positive (≥2 points) on 2 of the three categories. Descriptive statistics were computed in SPSS version 20.0. The frequency of participants at risk of OSA was calculated. The frequency of participants at risk for OSA was stratified among age group and genders using chi-square test at P≤0.05.
Results:Males were 30(30%), and females were 70(70%). The mean age was 22.4±4.63 years. Eighty three(83%) cases had normal weight (18.5-24.9 Body Mass Index), 12(12%) had underweight (<18.5 BMI) and 5 (5%) cases were overweight(25-29.9 BMI). Of the total sample, 9% of the cases were at high risk for OSA, and 91% were at low risk for OSA.
Conclusion:About 9 % of the patients were at high risk for OSA. The common symptoms were snoring, tiredness, fatigue and day time sleepiness. The orthodontic practitioners are required to regularly screen their patients for obstructive sleep apnea signs and symptoms to give optimal care.