Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is one of the most common chronic respiratory disorders in adults and represents a major public health concern. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to intermittent hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation, with cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive clinical consequences. Screening plays a key role: medical history, specific questionnaires, and physical examination allow the identification of at-risk individuals. Diagnosis must be made by a sleep physician, based on clinical history and instrumental tests capable of assessing respiratory, cardiovascular, and possibly electroencephalographic parameters during sleep, such as polysomnography or polygraphy. Therapeutic options include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), mandibular advancement devices, and otorhinolaryngological and maxillofacial surgical procedures, within a necessarily multidisciplinary approach. Dentists can and should play a crucial role, operating on two levels: on the one hand, they are called upon to conduct preliminary screening; on the other, they are increasingly involved in the management of specific clinical conditions, both in children and adults, thus becoming an integral part of the team of specialists involved in the therapeutic pathway.


Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you will be able to identify obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) as a chronic condition of increasing relevance in the adult population, highlighting its impact on public health.
After this lecture, you will be able to recognize the characteristic clinical signs and symptoms, both nocturnal and daytime, that are useful for suspecting the presence of OSA at an early stage.
After this lecture, you will be able to define the role of the dentist/orthodontist in diagnostic suspicion and in the interdisciplinary management of therapy, particularly in cases where dental treatment with a mandibular advancement device is indicated.