An oral appliance is a small, custom‐fitted device which is worn in the mouth during sleep to prevent the tongue and throat tissues from closing the airway during sleep. Some appliances hold the lower jaw forward during sleep while others have direct effect on tongue position. Oral appliances relieve snoring and treat OSA by realigning the jaw and/or tongue in forward position.

The oral device moves the tongue and soft palate forward to stabilize them. It also reopens the closed airway by increasing size of the airway behind the soft palate and tongue.

It works for most patients. If not alone, then in combination with a CPAP. After a comprehensive examination and review of your sleep study, a Sleep Apnea doctor will determine if you are a candidate for an oral appliance, CPAP or combination. Once the appliance is custom made for your mouth, it will be slowly adjusted to maximize results. Success may come in as little as one night or slowly after several adjustments to reach a healthy outcome. Once you start to feel better, true success of any of these treatments can only be measuredwith a follow up sleep study. With Oral Appliance Therapy, the follow up sleep study is done while wearing the appliance. No medical treatment including CPAP, surgery, or Oral Appliance Therapy can guarantee that your apnea will be eliminated. The only way to treat apnea is to try one of these treatments.

YES! Oral appliances work better due to better compliance than CPAP. According to the literature, Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) is 84.0% effective in treatment of non‐severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea cases and 69.2% effective for severe cases. Sometimes combination with CPAP is needed for severe patients. In any case, oral appliance treatment is better than no treatment.

Yes. Studies have revealed that oral appliances are very comfortable for Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients. In fact, many patients prefer oral appliances to CPAP therapy and use it for longer hours each night. For most patients, this means feeling better throughout the day, as well as improved health outcomes in the long run.

It depends on your  individual insurance coverage policy with deductibles coinsurance and copayments. We will help you navigate the complicated in’s and out’s of insurance to help manage cost of treatment so you can rest easy.

Most medical (not dental) insurance plans cover Oral Appliance Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea because it can remedy a medical condition with serious consequences if left untreated. How much insurance covers will depend on each person’s medical policy coverage.

The treatment time is normally 3‐6 months, except in severe cases when it may take a year or more for best results. The usual number of appointments needed are 5‐ 6 visits set 3‐4 weeks apart.

On an average, devices last for 3‐5 years. However, depending on individual habits such as‐ teeth grinding, jaw muscle activity, how careful you are when the Oral Appliance is out of your mouth‐ we estimate 3 years as an average length of service.

The three primary side effects are tooth discomfort, TMJ (jaw joint) or muscular discomfort, and tooth movement or bite changes. Other minor complications are possible such as salivation changes and dry lips. As with any medical treatment, there are possible complications or side effects to dental sleep therapy. Considering the well‐ documented health risks of leaving Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) untreated, most of the side effects of using oral devices/therapy are considered minor. However, most patient’s side effects will subside after the first week or two.

Lifetime. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a treatable but not curable disease for life. Similar to how diabetes or high blood pressure are controlled with medication, Sleep Apnea is controlled with oral device therapy. There is no cure for Sleep Apnea, only treatment options to control the disease.

To most effectively treat snoring and/or Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a diagnosis is needed from a Physician trained in sleep medicine. Once the decision to treat with an oral device is made, the trained dental sleep physician can fabricate a custom‐fit sleep appliance specifically for you. This offers unmatched comfort, stability and effectiveness. In addition, oral appliances need to be adjusted periodically in order to meet your current needs. Buying a one‐size‐fits‐all plastic guard is not comfortable, causes side effects that are not monitored and may not provide a therapeutic result. Sleep disorders will continue to cause disrupted sleep if you try to self‐solve the problem with an over the counter device. Boil and bite devices are not recommended by medical professionals to treat the serious life‐threatening disease of Sleep Apnea.