An Oral Apnea Appliance Helps Reduce The Effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring in Certain Patients

However Be Careful As Only a Handful Have Received FDA Approval

If you suffer from one of the most common obstructive sleep disorders, like snoring, you just might find relief from using an oral apnea appliance as treatment like thousands of other patients have. Unlike cpap appliances, oral appliances for sleep apnea and snoring are small pieces of equipment designed to either partially cover a patient's mouth or cover it completely in an effort to ease breathing during sleep. Made of plastic or silicone, these tools adjust the mouth and hold it in a position that reduces obstructive palates, (which causes snoring) in many patients just like you.

You may have seen many of these treatment advertised on television, however the FDA has only approved a handful of this kind of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea or snoring. And your chances of success with any one of them as an effective treatment can depend on a number of things like your weight, age, or the condition of your teeth. Even your existing jaw alignment may affect how this treatment works - of course, the biggest determinant is how severe the disorder is. Apnea sufferers, and those prone to snoring or otherwise obstructive breathing, are fairly young, of average weight, and have a healthy oral status will find more success with this treatment than those who are older, overweight, or with dental problems. But it's important to remember an appliance that works as a cure for snoring for one set of patients may not work for another.

Patients may have trouble adjusting to the design of the appliance or even the material that it's made of. This is a problem much easier to solve than apnea - for in most cases, it's solution is a simple matter of being properly fitted by a doctor or dentist. Patients might experience mouth pain or irritation while trying to get used to them. Fortunately, these short-term side effect dissipate over time.

Appliances can be repaired or readjusted over time however teeth grinders may need to replace them more quickly than others. Should a patient outgrow one of these appliances, it can be replaced with a new one. Oral appliances can last as few as six months all the way up to six years.

To preserve the life span of your appliance, you'll need to brush them in the same manner in which you brush your teeth because they can get covered in plaque just like your teeth do. Without the use of a working appliance, you just might find yourself suffering from sleep deprivation or insomnia all over again - so be sure to take care of it!