FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To capture the airway, the recommended minimal volume size is 11×10. It is not mandatory to capture the airway or the TMJ for fabrication of the OPTISLEEP, a volume size of 8×8 is sufficient. It is required to capture the entire dentition for fabrication of the OPTISLEEP.

For the CBCT scan used for the analysis of the upper airway, center the patient’s chin on the chinrest and stabilize the patient’s head. The patient should gently bite onto a bite stick or some cotton rolls without cramping. The tongue should lie loosely on the palate. Please select the appropriate exposure setting to show the airway.
For the second CBCT scan, used to fabricate the OPTISLEEP with the patient in therapeutic position, the patient should carefully bite on a George Gauge bite fork with registration material which brings him in a therapeutic position. Center the patient using the chin rest to stabilize the patient’s head.
Please note it is important not to cut off any dentition in this CBCT.

No, you don’t have to take two CBCT scans. Two CBCT’s allow for an airway comparison and show your patient how the treatment with OPTISLEEP will open the airway.
If you want to proceed without two CBCT scans just conduct a CBCT scan with the patient in therapeutic position as indicated by using your choice of bite fork, e.g. the George Gauge.

The CBCT does not necessarily have to be performed in protruded position. It should show the final therapeutic position. A vertical opening is important.

Which degree of protrusion to choose is at your discretion as the dentist, if necessary, in consultation with a sleep physician. Many factors, such as anatomical conditions, severity of the AHI or tolerance of the patient are considered for this selection. For some patients, it may be sufficient to hold the jaw in its normal position and only prevent it from falling back. A sleep study exam should be performed after beginning MAD treatment, after which the protrusion may need to be adjusted.
The OPTISLEEP can be adjusted by changing the connectors.

Center the patient in the CBCT machine using the chin rest to stabilize the patient. Instruct your patient to breath normally and rest his/her tongue loosely at the roof of the palate behind the anterior teeth without swallowing during the capture phase.

Yes, you can conduct distance and angle measurements manually. The relevant values for the airway comparison such as volume and smallest cross-sectional area are automatically calculated within SICAT Air.

OPTISLEEP can be used to relieve snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (AHI values between 5 and 29).

The AHI stands for apnea hypopnea index. This index indicates the severity of the sleep apnea and is calculated from the number of nocturnal breathing pauses of the patient longer than 10 seconds within one hour. It is determined during the sleep study examination. All therapeutic appliances represent long-term treatment and must therefore be worn every night.
If the symptoms do not improve with other interventions, this may be the case for the rest of the patient’s life.

The retention of the appliance and thus the therapeutic value relies on a relatively secure fit on the teeth. The patient’s dentition should show the following characteristics:

• No removable partial or full dentures.
• No loose teeth, no pronounced periodontitis.
• No new restorations (e.g., crowns, bridges) or orthodontic treatment planned.
• No temporary prosthetics.
• If possible, no missing teeth in the area of the connector pins (tooth areas 13-15, 23-25, 36-38, 46-48 or in the American dental notation 4-6, 11-13, 17-19, 30-32).
• Sufficient remaining teeth, at least three teeth in the area of the premolars and molars.
• Second premolar must not be the terminal tooth in the mandible.
• Sufficient usable undercuts on clinical crowns to provide retention (crown margins, dental ridges, poor buccal fillings etc. cannot be used).
• If possible, no elongated teeth.
• If elongated teeth are present, additional blocking must be planned and considered when determining the protrusion with the bite fork (e.g., George Gauge).
• The midline deviation of the therapeutic position should not exceed 2.5 mm.
• No tartar or plaque to affect the retention properties of OPTISLEEP. We recommend that patients have their teeth professionally cleaned beforehand.

• George Gauge or another bite fork for determining the degree of protrusion.
• Intraoral scans of upper and lower jaw Including the buccal relation in the treatment position (will be determined when ordering via SICAT Air at the time the X-ray is taken).

• Scan the upper and lower jaw.
• Scan the buccal relation of the jaws in the treatment position if you want to place the order without SICAT Air.
• During intraoral scanning, the complete clinical crown and in particular 3 mm beyond the gingival line must be included to ensure retention. Interdental spaces are important as well.
• If the terminal teeth should be completely covered by the OPTISLEEP, their entire distal area must be scanned accurately without errors.
• After completion of the intraoral scan, it is important to rescan the areas indicated as ‘inaccurate’ by the software.
• If you place the order via SICAT Air, check the correct alignment of 3D X-ray and optical surface data within the software.

For further information, please refer to the instructions for use for the medical professional which you can download in the download area.

The intraoral scans can be transmitted in the data format stl, ssi or sixd.

You can adjust the grade of protrusion for OPTISLEEP with the help of exchangeable connectors at any time. The connectors that accompany the OPTISLEEP come in 10 different sizes 0-9 (1 mm increments) and can be reordered from the SICAT Store online. This is described in detail in the Instructions for use for the medical professional which you can download in the download area.

Yes, you can reorder the complete set of connectors from the SICAT Store. Please ensure that you select the appropriate product version. V1.1 has been delivered since October 2022.

No, the OPTISLEEP appliance is tooth-borne and not indicated for patients who wear removable partial or full dentures.
A detailed list of requirements that a patient’s denture must meet in order for an OPTISLEEP to be fabricated can be found under the question Requirements for the patient’s dentition.
For further information, please note the Instructions for use for the medical professional which is available in the download area.

Check that the patient’s dental situation has not changed since the initial OPTISLEEP order.

Send an email with the patient’s name and case number to [email protected]. Confirm that you wish to order another appliance with the intraoral data of the previous OPTISLEEP. A discount will automatically be applied. The case number can be found in the SICAT Portal under “My orders”.

General turnaround for OPTISLEEP appliance is 10 working days and 2 days shipping.

In many cases the treatment is covered by medical insurances. Patients should contact their health insurance company to find out whether the costs of OPTISLEEP treatment is covered.

No. OPTISLEEP therapeutic appliances cannot be used in the following cases:

• Central sleep apnea
• Severe respiratory diseases
• Loose teeth
• Advanced periodontal disease
• Persons under 18 years
• Edentulous or partially edentulous jaw

For any further questions concerning OPTISLEEP please refer to the OPTISLEEP manuals: Application and care information (for patient) and the Instructions for use for the medical professional which you can download in the download area.

The SICAT OPTISLEEP workflow is described on the OPTISLEEP page of this website as well as in our manual. The manual is available for download in the download area as well as on www.optisleep.com.