Knowledge of the Severity of Snoring among Patients of the Dental Clinic. An International Multicentric Study

Abstract

Sleep-related breathing disorders increase morbidity and mortality of those patients suffering from them. Snoring is a quite common disorder; however, there are no publications describing the knowledge of the patients that attend to the dental clinic on how snoring can be a severe health problem. To evaluate the knowledge of the severity of snoring and its impact on systemic health among the patients that attend to the dental clinic. Anonymous questionnaires were given to patients at dental clinics in 4 countries. The questionnaires were composed by nine questions related to snoring and how it affects general health in children and adults. A total of 200 subjects participated in this multicentric study. The mean age of the participants was 42.57 years. The results from the present study show that there is a great lack of knowledge on the severity of snoring. Forty-eight percent of the participants affirmed they snore; however, only 20% of the sample think it is important to consult a specialist due to this problem. This study reveals the great lack of knowledge regarding the negative impact of snoring on systemic health and the need of implementing educational programs.

Keywords

• snoring
• obstructive sleep apnea
• health communication