Sleep Apnea Appliance Therapy

Upon recommendation from your physician, and as an alternative to CPAP or Bi-PAP therapy, Oral appliances, sometimes called dental appliances, are intended to treat apnea by keeping the airway open in one of three ways: by pushing the lower jaw forward (a mandibular advancement device or MAD), by preventing the tongue from falling back over the airway (a tongue-retaining device), or by combining both mechanisms.

Oral appliances are typically more effective for people with mild sleep apnea and for non-obese people but can, for some, be effective for moderate and severe sleep apnea. The most common type of oral appliance, a MAD is often adjustable so that the dentist can move the jaw further or reduce the advancement as necessary. The goal is to find the most comfortable and effective position for the patient. On occasion oral appliances may worsen the apnea.

Comments are closed.