The impact of myofunctional therapy on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in adults with obstructive sleep apnea
By Mitchell Lopez BSDH(c),Citlalli Abascal Guerrero, BSDH(c),Keyla Ramirez Pinedo, BSDH(c),Melody McGee, MBA, RDH, EPDH
Originally at rdhmag.com
Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Myofunctional therapy modestly lowers AHI in OSA patients, but the evidence is still preliminary and lacks large-scale trials.
Key points
- Myofunctional therapy produced statistically significant AHI reductions in adults with OSA, positioning it as an evidence-based adjunct to CPAP or oral appliances.
- Hygienists are the only team members already trained in orofacial musculature, so practices can deploy therapy chairside during hygiene visits, creating a new billable procedure.
- Medical-sleep collaboration (referrals from ENTs, sleep physicians) can increase case volume and differentiate the practice in local DSO and specialist networks.
- Adding this service expands the practice’s medical-billing footprint, supporting medical necessity documentation for appliances and follow-up HSTs.
Who should care
Read the original on RDH Magazine
Full reporting and any paywall content live on rdhmag.com. We summarize and score; we do not republish.
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