Snoring, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), are gaining more attention in the field of dentistry since they fall within the spectrum of Sleep Related Breathing Disorders (SDB). More articles are appearing in the dental literature concerning SDB and the dentist’s role in diagnosis, treatment, and management of these disorders. Sleep disorder breathing varies greatly in its’ clinical presentation. This requires the dentist who chooses to treat SDB to be thoroughly familiar with the developmental anatomy and physiology of the pharynx and the relationship of the stomatognathic system with the physiology of swallowing. This presentation will include a discussion of the embryology of the airway and the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of swallowing and the role of speech and the dissension of the larynx in humans. The unique features of modern man’s oropharynx will serve as an introduction to the topic of SDB.
Objectives:
• To review the embryology of the oral stomatognathic system
• To review the cranial nerves which innervate the region
• To become familiar with the various factors which make the pharynx of humans unique in the animal kingdom
• To become more familiar with the role of the hyoid bone and its relationship to swallowing and maintenance of the upper airway
• To become more familiar with the use of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) in evaluating airway