Dental appliance for snoring

Video: Oral appliances for sleep apnea

There is growing evidence of links between airway obstructions during sleep and poor memory or concentration, the risks of motor vehicle accidents, mood disorders such as depression, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease such as heart attach and stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, and gastric reflux.

These oral devices can often be a good solution for snoring and/or mild to moderate sleep apnoea. They are sometimes called Mandibular Advancement Splints or MAS, or Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD), or Tongue Retraction Devices (TRD). You will find that they look like a mouth guard, which you would put in your mouth at night before going to bed.

The dental appliance for snoring pushes your lower jaw and/or your tongue forwards. This opens your airway more, and there is less of a risk that your airway will vibrate (causing snoring) or be obstructed (causing sleep apnea).

As with many treatment options, some patients respond better than others.

The dental appliance will work best if you have a mild form of sleep apnoea. This would often mean that your symptoms improve when you lie on your side, and in patients who are not overweight.

If you have severe sleep apnea, then a CPAP solution may be a better option. In some patients who have severe sleep apnoea and who are not candidates for CPAP, or are intolerant of the face masks involved in CPAP, dental devices may be used instead. Whereas in other cases, the dental device is worn in conjunction with CPAP to improve your comfort and tolerance.

As your expert in oral health, a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine can provide a dental treatment for sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea (sleep apnea) is a disorder involving interruptions to breathing when you sleep. Snoring, apart from causing annoyance to you and your partner, can often be a sign of sleep apnoea.

Your dentist at NewSmile Dental Perth has a particular expertise in oral health, and the dynamics of the jaws, the airway and the tongue. This means that your dentist, often in collaboration with a sleep medicine specialist, will be well placed to assist you with a clear diagnosis, and to explain various treatment options.

The shape of your mouth is unique, so we will make an impression of your teeth and create a customised appliance. It will be adjusted when fitted into your mouth, so that it moves your jaw into an effective position (stopping or reducing sleep apnea and snoring).

At NewSmile Dental Perth, we have dentists with postgraduate training in dental sleep medicine. Our mission is to deliver optimal dental services, whether they are preventive, cosmetic, reconstructive, or part of a wider medical treatment plan. Just ask for a consultation about potential management for sleeping or sleep apnoea.

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