In the past few years, oral appliances have become a very popular way to treat sleep apnea. They are comfortable, effective, silent, and do not require any external hardware or electricity like CPAP machines. If you are prescribed an oral appliance for sleep apnea, you will insert it before you lie down to go to sleep and likely find that it will reduce or even stop the pauses in breathing that your sleep apnea causes.
It will shift your lower jaw and hold it in place so that your airways can remain open while you sleep. Keeping your airways open will offset the chance of breathing lapses when your muscles relax. With an open airway, you’ll be able to maintain normal breathing throughout the duration of the night.
Although oral appliances are typically used for mild to moderate levels of obstructive sleep apnea, they can be effective for patients with more severe sleep apnea when other treatments have not been helpful. Since CPAP devices are noticeable and uncomfortable to wear, most sleep apnea patients prefer oral appliances over CPAP.
If you’re wondering what the best oral appliance for sleep apnea is, understand that there is no one appliance that is right for all patients. At Wainright & Wassel DDS, we recommend a variety of different appliances.
The severity of your sleep apnea as well as your jaw structure and bite, jaw range of motion, tongue size, and teeth and gum health will all be taken into consideration before an appliance is suggested. Here is a brief list of a few oral appliances that many of our patients have benefited from:
· Respite Blue
· Narval CC
· E.M.A.
· Herbst
· SleepTight
Schedule an Appointment at Wainright & Wassel DDS
If you’re wondering whether an oral appliance can improve your sleep apnea, you owe it to yourself to schedule an appointment at Wainright & Wassel DDS by calling 919-847-1322. We’ll evaluate your condition and let you know which oral appliance is right for you. In the event that an oral appliance doesn’t make sense, we’ll recommend an alternative treatment.