Maxillary Expansion Treatment of Pediatric OSA

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a serious medical condition affecting an estimated 1-5% of children. The disease is believed to have several overlapping causes including large tonsils and small or narrow jaws. This prospective, randomized cross-over study will evaluate the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment of narrow upper teeth and jaws compared to the current standard of care which is surgical removal of the adenoids and tonsils. Patients will be evaluated by both an orthodontist and ENT physician, complete a series of questionnaires and undergo an overnight sleep study, both initially and after undergoing the randomized treatment. Patients who on reassessment have residual symptoms of sleep apnea will then be crossed over and receive the other form of treatment. The levels of improvement to both subjective (questionnaire) and objective (overnight sleep study) measures of sleep apnea will then be compared. The null hypothesis is there is no significant difference in improvement between maxillary expansion and adenotonsillectomy in the objective and subjective outcome measures in children with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.