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Sleep apnea can be the result of a person’s mouth not being ideally shaped to allow for space for their tongue leading to poor sleep quality. The solution for certain individuals may include the DOME procedure in which expanders are surgically placed in the mouth to widen the palate and roof of the mouth making room for the tongue.
The study: Distraction Osteogenesis Maxillary Expansion (DOME) for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients with High Arched Palate, written by Otolaryngology specialists Stanley Liu, Christian Guilleminault, Leh Kiong Huon, Audrey Yoon states:
A narrow maxilla with high arched palate characterizes a phenotype of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients that is associated with increased nasal resistance and posterior tongue displacement. Current maxillary expansion techniques for adults are designed to correct dentofacial deformity. We describe distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion (DOME) tailored to adult patients with OSA with narrow nasal floor and high arched palate without soft tissue redundancy. DOME is performed with placement of maxillary expanders secured by mini-implants along the midpalatal suture. This minimizes the maxillary osteotomies necessary to re-create sutural separation for reliable expansion at the nasal floor and palatal vault. We report the safety and efficacy profile of the first 20 patients at Stanford who underwent DOME.
Read the study here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318214932_Distraction_Osteogenesis_Maxillary_Expansion_DOME_for_Adult_Obstructive_Sleep_Apnea_Patients_with_High_Arched_Palate