Should teeth be extracted in cases of obstructive sleep apnea?

Lack of space due to narrow jaws often leads orthodontists to prescribe tooth extractions. It is unclear whether extractions predispose individuals to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is more likely that narrow maxillae and mandibles and their low volumes, which motivate tooth extractions, are predisposing factors for OSA. Furthermore, this raises the question of tongue function in OSA. The question is therefore: can orthodontic treatment prevent OSA by widening the jaws ? In a recent cranio-facial comparative study of our group (Jadoul at al., Laryngoscope, 2025), 34 non-obese young adults (16 OSA patients and 18 controls) underwent orthodontic treatment. Both groups received comparable removable and/or fixed orthodontic appliances. Noteworthily, however, they differed in the number of premolars extracted during orthodontic treatment, with 6 subjects in the OSA group (37.5%) and none (0%) in the control group (p<0.05).