What is Oral Appliance Therapy?
Oral appliance therapy, a cornerstone of dental sleep medicine, is an alternative treatment to CPAP. Unlike CPAP, oral appliances are small devices that fit in your mouth similar to a nightguard or retainer. You wear them while you sleep. They generally aim to stop you from snoring or blocking your airway at night and can also address underlying developmental issues that contribute to your condition.
To prevent snoring or interrupted breathing at night, oral appliances work by advancing the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open and prevent the soft tissue from collapsing. This allows you to breathe freely throughout the night, completely snore-free. Many patients prefer oral appliance therapy due to its convenience for travel, ease of use and cleaning, and the comfort it provides compared to CPAP.
Types of Oral Appliances
Our dental office offers several different FDA approved oral appliances to treat both sleep apnea as part of our dental sleep medicine services to treat both sleep apnea and snoring, including the following:
EMA (Elastic Mandibular Advancement)
The EMA (Elastic Mandibular Advancement) custom appliance opens the bite and gently moves the mandible forward to open the airway. Your tongue is connected to the back of your mandible (lower jaw) and won’t restrict your breathing when moved forward. Wear this appliance while you sleep to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Herbst Sleep Appliance
The Herbst sleep oral appliance effectively treats snoring, bruxism (teeth grinding), and mild to moderate sleep apnea. This appliance is worn at night and works similarly to the EMA. It moved your lower jaw forward, allowing more room in your airway. With more space, your collapsing soft tissue won’t restrict airflow.
Moses Sleep Appliance
The Moses sleep appliance uses an open anterior design coupled with mandibular advancement to protrude the tongue and open the airway. It also elevates the tongue to the upper palette to promote nasal breathing. Patients can easily talk, close their lips, drink, or open their mouths wide while wearing this appliance. If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or snoring, this nighttime appliance could work for you.
Respire Sleep Appliance
Respire sleep appliances use a minimal amount of fabricated material to maximize tongue space while maintaining strength and results. The appliance also accommodates those with narrow arches and those who find other oral appliances uncomfortable. This appliance is worn whenever you are sleeping. It is used to treat mild to moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea and can eliminate snoring altogether.
SUAD Sleep Appliance
The SAUD appliance differs from other oral appliances because it allows for more lateral movement and protects teeth in patients who grind or clench their teeth at night. This sleep appliance is worn at night or during an afternoon nap and is for those who wish to reduce their snoring or treat obstructive sleep apnea.
SomnoDent
This custom-fitted oral appliance pushes the lower jaw forward and prevents your throat tissue and tongue from collapsing and blocking the airway. The SomnoDent treats mild to moderate sleep apnea. 91% of patients report improved sleep with this appliance.
MicrO2 Prosomnous Appliance
The Micr02 Prosomnous is the first CAD/CAM milled sleep apnea appliance on the market. It offers a lingual-free design, is small in size, and doesn’t require any mechanical adjustments. It’s ready to use as soon as it’s created. It gently repositions the lower jaw allowing for better airflow. Those with mild to moderate sleep apnea would benefit from the Micr02 Prosomnous.
TAP Airway Management
TAP custom appliances have over a 90% success rate in treating sleep apnea. They come in many different hardware choices that offer different levels of comfort. TAP is ideal for patients who are having trouble adhering to CPAP usage. Wear the TAP while you sleep, and it will gently pull your mandible forward to ensure your airway remains unobstructed throughout the night.
DNA Appliance
The DNA appliance not only reduces sleep apnea and snoring symptoms, but it treats them by correcting jaw arch and alignment issues to open up the airway. The appliance works by straightening and developing the arches and teeth into a healthy alignment. It’s also effective for treating TMJ disorders.
Unline other oral sleep appliances, you need to wear the DNA Appliance as long as possible but at least 16 hours per day. This appliance works to change the structure of your airways, so it takes more upfront commitment than the others. But in the end, you may not have to worry about obstructive sleep apnea ever again.
Advantages of Oral Appliance Therapy
Some advantages to oral appliance therapy to manage your sleep apnea and/or snoring include:
- Can use in conjunction with CPAP or certain surgical procedures
- Easy to sleep in nearly any position when wearing an oral appliance
- Simultaneously manage bruxism, clenching and TMJ disorders
- Easy to travel
- No need for any electricity
- No noise
Is oral appliance therapy right for you? Contact Dr. Larry Pribyl at the Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea to schedule a consultation for sleep apnea treatment. Dr. Pribyl will recommend the best oral appliance for you in addition to other sleep apnea treatments if needed. Please call (816) 795-1000 to schedule an appointment today.