Personality traits and oral device: a new challenge to increase compliance with MAD therapy for OSAS and snoring

Abstract

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a respiratory syndrome and oral devices can be used for its treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the opinions of a generic subject about being treated by a dentist for a general health problem and the association between personality traits and the predisposition to use a MAD for the treatment of OSAS and snorting. One hundred and fortyeight participants were enrolled in the study and were asked to fill in the questionnaires. Personality traits were evaluated using NFC (Need for Closure), PER (openness to new experiences), STAITrait and STAI-Stat questionnaires (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). The propensity to be treated with dental devices for a general health problem such as OSAS and snoring was evaluated with a specific questionnaire. Eight out of ten participants would accept to use dental device to be kept at night for the solution of a health problem or the treatment of a disease that does not affect the teeth. A positive opinion on device used to treat OSAS was associated with higher PER and lower Mad-related distress, while the opinion of usefulness of the device was positively associated with higher PER and STAI-Trait. A positive opinion about treatment of snorting and OSAS using dental devices was associated with higher PER, while lower STAI-Trait was associated with positive opinion on treatment of snorting using dental-devices. The results suggest that some personality traits are associated with the propensity to use MAD to treat a general pathology as OSAS.

Keywords

• sleep apnea syndromes
• mandibular advancement
• personality
• anxiety
• dentistry