Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliances are worn in the mouth to treat snoring and OSA. These devices are similar to orthodontic retainers or sports mouth guards. Oral Appliance Therapy involves the selection, design, fitting and use of a custom designed oral appliance that is worn during sleep. This appliance then attempts to maintain an opened, unobstructed airway in the throat. There are many different oral appliances available. Approximately 40 appliances have been approved through the FDA for treatment of snoring and/or sleep apnea. Oral appliances may be used alone or in combination with other means of treating OSA. These means include general health, weight management, or surgery.
Oral appliances work in several ways:- Repositioning the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate and uvula
- Stabilizing the lower jaw and tongue
- Increasing the muscle tone of the tongue
Dentists have been using Oral Appliance Therapy for over 25 years. Original Oral Appliance Therapy procedures however, lacked scientific experiments to document their efficiency. In February 2006, after numerous level one and level 2 clinical studies, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommended Oral Appliance Therapy to be one of the first line treatments for mild and moderate sleep apnea and has a program to certify which oral appliances have proven to be effective. Dentists can choose from over seventy available appliances. Sleep Solutions Dental Group will help you choose an appliance that is most comfortable for you. The following are some of the most popular appliances:
THE SOMNOMED MAS™
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SomnoMed (from Australia) was introduced to the United States in 2007 after extensive clinical studies. Today, the Somnomed Mas™ is the leading oral appliance for treating sleep apnea. The patient satisfaction rate is 95%. The SomnoMed Video
THE OASYS ORAL/NASAL AIRWAY SYSTEM™
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The OASYS is our most popular appliance because it is the only one approved by the FDA for nasal dilation. The small acrylic balls slip underneath the upper lip and open the nasal passages similar to a breathe rite strip. A high percentage of our sleep apnea patients have nasal obstructions.
SILENT NIGHT
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This appliance is used as a low cost temporary sleep apnea appliance.
SILENCER
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The silencer is the most durable appliance that we use for extreme clenchers.
The EMA®
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The EMA is another sleep apliance that is extremely comfortable with good tongue space and allows lateral movement. the appliance is adjusted by changing the size of the elastic straps on the sides.
TMJ Splint
The TMJ splint fits on the lower jaw allowing comfortable tongue movement and normal swallowing with minimal speech interference.
If you would like to consider an oral appliance instead of CPAP please call Sleep Solutions Dental Group today!