If you are struggling with snoring or obstructive sleep apnea, wearing a custom dental device may be your best option for peaceful sleep.
Oral appliances that treat snoring and apnea are small custom dental devices worn in the mouth similar to custom sports guards or orthodontic retainers.
These devices are professionally fitted by dentists educated in sleep disorders and dental sleep medicine.
Custom oral sleep appliances may also be called :
- Mandibular advancement device
- Mandibular repositioning device
- Mandibular advancement splint, and more…
The following individuals are often the best candidates for oral appliance therapy:
- Patients that snore but have no apnea (verified through testing or medical consultation)
- Patients at all levels of obstructive sleep apnea that have attempted CPAP therapy unsuccessfully
- Any obstructive sleep apnea patient that prefers to seek out oral appliance therapy as an alternative to CPAP therapy
Oral sleep appliances or mandibular repositioning devices(MRD’s) work by repositioning and stabilizing the jaw in a forward position. This mechanism can prevent muscles and tissues from collapsing back into the airway that causes the airway obstruction, as in snoring and apnea.
Most individuals find oral appliances far more comfortable and less cumbersome than CPAP therapy, a common treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea.
When successful, oral appliances vastly improve the quality of life of snoring and apnea patients and improve relationships. Positive results include:
- No or reduced snoring
- Absence or improvement of the number of apnea events
- Improved sleep quality and fewer awakenings
- Improvement in chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure
How effective are sleep apnea mouthguards when compared to CPAP therapy? Here we review the current information comparing the effectiveness of CPAP therapy and custom dental apnea mouthguards, a well-researched…
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I have had a sleep test to confirm my oral apnea device is working. How often should I come back to see my apnea dentist? You took the large step…
I already have a night guard for grinding. Will I still be able to wear an oral device for apnea? The answer: absolutely YES! Patients that wear or have worn…
…I Had Forgotten How Good I Could Feel To help individuals and the medical community embrace oral appliance therapy as a treatment option for snoring and apnea, I’ll be sharing…
I still often hear incorrect information from dentists AND physicians regarding this common question years after oral devices have not only existed but have been recognized by many medical insurance…
Oral appliance therapy involves treating snoring and apnea with small custom devices that are worn in the mouth similar to sports mouth guards or orthodontic retainers. These devices are fabricated…
To help patients and the medical community embrace oral appliance therapy as a treatment option for snoring and apnea, I’ll be sharing some typical patient outcomes. For frequent travel needs,…
Snoring and apnea if left untreated or treated inadequately, can lead to serious medical problems. These problems can include increased risk of heart attack, stroke, daytime sleepiness and other serious…