A survey of patients with obstructive sleep apnea at three medical institutions of the Asahi University

Our three medical institutions, Asahi University Medical and Dental Center （Medical and Dental Center）, Asahi University Hospital Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery（ Dental and Oral Surgery）, and Asahi University PDI Gifu Dental Clinic（ PDI）, manage patients with obstructive sleep apnea（ OSA）referred by the medical department using oral appliances（ OA）. Despite the participation of many dentists in OSA treatment, individual doctors determine treatment policy and duration. We conducted a survey on the number of patients, referral sources, number of visits, and treatment duration at these three institutions from 2021 to 2023 and discussed the treatment methods and prognosis at a conference. The number of patients with OSA in the Dental and Oral Surgery increased（ 8 in 2021, 19 in 2022, and 32 in 2023）, while the Medical and Dental Center（ 14 in 2021, 15 in 2022, and 10 in 2023） and PDI（ 12 in 2021, 5 in 2022, and 11 in 2023） showed fluctuating numbers across the years. The institutions had different referral sources, indicating distinct regional contributions. Additionally, patients often ceased hospital visits if snoring decreased and no abnormalities were found in the bite pain or temporomandibular joint area, with the most common visit duration being approximately 3 months. A future challenge would be to conduct long-term follow-up observations.