Emerging dental therapies for sleep disorders

BACKGROUND: Dentistry has an increasingly important role in the management of sleep health and sleep disorders. The authors' goal was to synthesize the 2024 American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine consensus report clarifying the evidence supporting new or emerging dental interventions for sleep health and disorders. The authors identified consensus report strengths and limitations and outlined priorities for future research. The intent was to provide a broader understanding of potential emerging dental preventive, curative, and management approaches for sleep health and disorders, especially for dentists with less exposure to sleep medicine. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The analysis included the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine consensus panel report and peer-reviewed studies cited within it, supplemented with PubMed-identified literature on dental interventions for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring without OSA. RESULTS: No emerging dental therapy met the criteria for a first-line monotherapy for OSA or snoring to substitute for mandibular advancement devices. Evidence suggests some therapies may serve adjunctive or individualized roles when established treatments are ineffective or declined. Major limitations in evidence include lack of pediatric subgroup stratification, reliance on apnea-hypopnea index, oxygen desaturation, and subjective snoring as primary outcomes of success, and variability found in study design and sample diversity. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists can contribute to multidisciplinary sleep care through established therapies, selective use of emerging interventions, and early recognition of airway growth issues. Adoption of new therapies should follow expert consensus and robust evidence until stronger data are available.