Capua Maya, Ahmadi Negar, Shapiro Colin
University of Toronto, Youthdale Child and Adolescent Sleep Centre, 227 Victoria St., Toronto ON M5B 1T8.
J Can Dent Assoc. 2009 May;75(4):285-9.
Among the many factors important in children"s development is sleep. Sleep disorders can impair children"s sleep and lead to negative consequences. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which involves blockage of the airway during sleep, can affect development and behaviour; thus, OSA in children should be diagnosed and treated at an early stage. One of the main causes of childhood OSA is enlargement of the tonsil tissues and, in most cases, their removal serves as an ultimate treatment of OSA. However, it remains unclear what proportion of children with enlarged tonsil tissue suffer from OSA. Dentists are becoming increasingly aware of the issue of OSA as they are sometimes involved in treatment of this condition using oral appliances. Moreover, as dentists often look into children"s mouths, they can play an active role in identifying those with enlarged tonsils and referring them for sleep assessment.
睡眠是儿童发育过程中的众多重要因素之一。睡眠障碍会损害儿童的睡眠并导致负面后果。阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA），即睡眠期间气道阻塞，会影响发育和行为；因此，儿童OSA应尽早诊断和治疗。儿童OSA的主要原因之一是扁桃体组织肿大，在大多数情况下，切除扁桃体是OSA的最终治疗方法。然而，尚不清楚扁桃体组织肿大的儿童中患有OSA的比例是多少。牙医越来越意识到OSA问题，因为他们有时会使用口腔矫治器参与这种疾病的治疗。此外，由于牙医经常查看儿童口腔，他们可以在识别扁桃体肿大的儿童并将他们转介进行睡眠评估方面发挥积极作用。
