Sleep Apnea Machine Could Morph Faces, Study Says

Sleep apnea patients who use a nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) machine to treat their obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could have their faces morphed into another shape, a recent study published in the medical journal Chest said.

The study examined 46 Japanese adults with sleep apnea, 41 of whom were male, and took X-rays of their faces before they started to use an nCPAP machine and took subsequent X-rays after they had used the nCPAP machine for two years or more.

Researchers found that the machine affected front jaw prominence (maxillary and mandibular) and changed the shape of the two dental arches—or rows of teeth.

Sleep apnea sufferers can be prescribed the use of nCPAP machines with a mask to aid better breathing at night. However, the paper noted that facial changes could potentially worsen sleep apnea symptoms.

Researchers said more research and studies were necessary before reaching a conclusion on the overall benefits and side effects of nCPAP use.

“The side effects of dental changes obviously have a small impact compared with the beneficial effects of nCPAP, such as reducing the AHI [apnea-hypopnea index, a measure of the severity of one’s sleep apnea] and daytime sleepiness,” the report said.

“However, because the effects of these dental and skeletal changes have not been fully investigated, further study is required to uncover the factors affecting these changes.”