{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T06:08:05Z","timestamp":1768802885392,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,10]],"date-time":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691625600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a debilitating disease, difficult to treat. Dental appliances have been proposed as a valid therapy for improving functional outcomes with good compliance rates. Herein, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing clinical outcomes between OSA children treated with dental appliances versus controls. Materials Methods: The study was registered with PROSPERO. A systematic search was performed for all comparative studies examining outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent treatment of OSA with oral appliances versus controls. Data was extracted and analyzed using a random effects model via Rev Man 5.3. Results: Six studies including 180 patients were analyzed split into two groups: patients treated with dental appliances (n = 123) and the controls (n = 119). Therapy with dental appliances was shown to significantly improve the apnea\u2013hypopnea index (p = 0.009) and enlarge the superior posterior airway space (p = 0.02). Maxilla-to-mandible measurements were not significantly different between the two groups, nor was the mean SO2 (p = 0.80). Conclusions: This is the most updated meta-analysis assessing the role of dental appliances for OSA in children; it shows that such devices can improve functional outcomes by decreasing the apnea\u2013hypopnea index.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina59081447","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,10]],"date-time":"2023-08-10T10:11:22Z","timestamp":1691662282000},"page":"1447","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Dental Appliances for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"59","author":[{"given":"Daniel","family":"Marciuc","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7767-0975","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefan","family":"Morarasu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Department of Surgical Oncology, Regional Institute of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bianca Codrina","family":"Morarasu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine and Toxicology, \u201cSaint Spiridon\u201d University Regional Emergency Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emilia Adriana","family":"Marciuc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Emergency Hospital \u201cProf. Dr. Nicolae Oblu\u201d, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9571-2630","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bogdan Ionut","family":"Dobrovat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Emergency Hospital \u201cProf. Dr. Nicolae Oblu\u201d, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Veronica","family":"Pintiliciuc-Serban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roxana Mihaela","family":"Popescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Florinel Cosmin","family":"Bida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Implantology, Removable Prostheses, Dental Prostheses Technology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Valentin","family":"Munteanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Intensive Care Unit, \u201cSaint Mary\u201d Emergency Children Hospital, 700309, Faculty of Medical Bioengineering, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Danisia","family":"Haba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Emergency Hospital \u201cProf. Dr. Nicolae Oblu\u201d, Faculty of Dental Medicine, \u201cGrigore T. Popa\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1513\/pats.200707-114MG","article-title":"Pathophysiology of adult obstructive sleep apnea","volume":"5","author":"Eckert","year":"2008","journal-title":"Proc. Am. Thorac. 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