Dental News - New 3-D mouthpiece may help thousands of sleep apnoea patients

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 13. May 2014

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MELBOURNE, Australia: In collaboration with a dental company, Australian researchers have developed a new device that could be used to treat sleep apnoea, a serious sleep disorder characterised by interrupted breathing. They used a 3-D technology to fabricate a customised mouthpiece that changes the airflow through the mouth and thus prevents dangerous pauses of breath during sleep.

The device, which is produced from titanium and coated with a medical-grade plastic, extends from the mouth like a whistle and divides into two separate airways. It thus allows air to flow through to the back of the throat, avoiding obstructions from the nose, the back of the mouth and the tongue, the researchers explained.

According to the developers, the mouthpiece can be tailored to every individual’s mouth using a 3-D scan. As it is only used on top of the teeth, it is more compact and comfortable than conventional devices used to treat sleep apnoea, such as continuous positive airway pressure masks.

“The new 3-D printed mouthpiece bypasses all obstructions by having airways that deliver air to the back of the throat and it will also stop patients from snoring,” said Neil Anderson, CEO of Oventus, a Sydney-based supplier of a range of oral appliances for breathing assistance that developed the device in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia’s national science agency.

The device is expected to be available to patients next year.

About one million Australians suffer from some form of sleep apnoea, the researchers estimate. The disorder has been associated with a number of other systemic conditions, such high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks and diabetes.

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