()
Complications risk-free, anti snoring oral appliance PASA
Dr. Park, the inventor of the anti-snoring appliance PASA, was awarded by KHIDI (Korea Health Industry Development Institute) for the appliance’s excellence in 2022. Based in Incheon, Dr.Park’s Ilmi dental clinic is well known for its different treatment of TMJ disorders and traumatic occlusion in addition to conventional dental treatment such as implants and prosthodontics. PASA was given the NET(New Excellence Technology )certification by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea in 2015.
Snoring and sleep apnea is a medical condition that severely affects one’s health. Multiple research shows correlations between sleep apnea and chronic headache, fatigue, sleepiness, hypertension, and stroke. While over 30% of the world population suffers from this condition, the lack of awareness of its seriousness and the lack of an influential “gold standard” treatment method raises a significant public health concern.
The development background of PASA
The invention of PASA was an incidental finding by Dr. Park. Earlier in his career as a dentist, an old male patient in his 80s complained multiple times after getting his complete dentures fabricated. He complained that the dentures were not fitting well despite numerous adjustment attempts. An x-ray imaging showing the patient’s entire head was taken for evaluation. It was noted that the patient had a massive asymmetry between the left and fitting joints in the jaw. It was a moment of inspiration for Dr. Park, as he realized “a door with broken hinges cannot be fixed.
While correcting this asymmetry with different oral splints, Dr. Park received feedback that snoring had disappeared. This unintentional “side effect” has led to more research on TMJ and occlusion during his personal time. After receiving the same feedback from multiple patients with similar cases, Dr. Park saw a pattern and decided to use this principle to develop a new product to help people suffering from snoring and sleep apnea. As the product was first developed to manage people with TMJ problems, the product was designed in a way to minimize strain in the joints of the jaw. In doing so, it virtually eliminated the potential side effects in long-term usage that were prevalent in other oral appliances at the time. Over the years, PASA has gained much popularity among patients with sleep apnea of all stages in Korea. Today, patients are visiting from many countries around the world.
Eliminated side effects present in other products, effective in managing snoring and sleep apnea
Every anti-snoring oral appliance advances the lower jaw forward, so the tongue connected to the lower jaw is also pushed along, preventing it from falling back to block the airway while sleeping. One advantage of PASA over other treatment methods is that it is virtually side-effect-free. One of PASA’s fundamental design principles is allowing free movement of the lower jaw while wearing the appliance. This feature makes it extra comfortable and prevents the build-up of strain in joints that lead to long-term side effects. PASA is compact and in one piece without any additional connecting components, making it easier to clean and less likely to break.
Dr. Park also noted that “PASA would be an excellent treatment option who suffer from chronic oxygen deficiency due to sleep apnea and those with a dry mouth or swollen neck from long-term mouth breathing.”
