Patients indeed are often very surprised by how quickly they get used to wearing their oral mouth devices for snoring and apnea. Many of these patients had previous attempts in wearing night guards that help treat teeth grinding during sleep. Even if they were unsuccessful wearing those devices, many oral appliance patients get accustomed to oral appliances that treat apnea and snoring quite nicely.

Oral Mouth Devices – Oral Appliance Therapy

Side effects of discomfort and drooling usually are very short-lived and dissipate in the first few weeks. The far majority of our patients who have received an oral device at our practice are sleeping through the night within the first week of receiving their custom device.

Studies have shown that patients who have been prescribed an oral device for the treatment of apnea tend to keep wearing the device over the years to come, approximating to 80% long-term compliance. This compares to 40-60 % of CPAP usage studies. With our guidance and experience, we find that this number is even higher. Most of our patients continue to use their oral device once proven to be effective.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 17 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

Recently I was diagnosed and told I need CPAP for my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Can I use Oral Appliance Therapy and have a dental mouth device made instead?

Oral Appliance Therapy

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) has evolved over the past 30 years now reaching acceptable levels as a very good choice of treatment for many apnea sufferers.

The standard of care for oral appliances as set by sleep-trained physicians include oral appliances as an acceptable treatment choice for those:

• With mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• That prefer oral devices to CPAP
• With severe OSA unable to tolerate CPAP
• That have failed attempts of weight loss and positional therapy

There are other factors that need to be evaluated when OAT is contemplated. These may include how sleepy an individual is during the day as a result of apnea, or how low oxygen dipped during the patient’s sleep test. For many, CPAP can give them immediate relief of excessive daytime sleepiness. After their symptoms have been resolved, they may want to then seek oral appliance therapy.

Many successful CPAP users also choose to have oral appliances made as an option for traveling even if they are compliant and able to wear the CPAP.

Advantages of oral appliances over CPAP include:

• less cumbersome
• easy to travel with
• no hoses and cords
• no mask problems
• no facial irritation
• no sinus issues

To find out if you are a good candidate for oral appliance therapy, ask your sleep physician or primary care doctor about it. You can choose to come in for a screening and discussion here at Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, and we can help direct you with further details.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 17 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

Are you thinking of getting a mouth device for snoring? What do you need to know about Oral Appliance Therapy?

Oral Appliance Therapy

There’s lots of chatter off and online in about snoring remedies. This makes getting a mouth device for snoring to help control snoring relatively easy these days. But sifting through the wide array of “retainer” options or dealing with the side effects that often occur with mouth retainers remains far more difficult.

Even in regards to professionally-made mouth devices for snoring, there are over 80 such types to choose from. Consider these questions regarding mouth and jaw retainers on your journey to a peaceful night of sleep:

1. Were you told if any harm might come to your current fillings, teeth, gums or jaw structure with your choice of device?
2. Was your choice of device reviewed with a dental professional who can help sort out which device is best for your particular mouth structures?
3. Were you given all the possible instructions needed to prevent major side effects that may result with the use of “mouth” retainers?
4. Were you properly screened for sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea which often accompanies snoring?
5. Is someone helping you maximize the effects of your retainer as both the device and you age?

For more information or guidance on which device may be best for you, or to help resolve problems with your snoring, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com.

Dr. Michael Breus shares new guidelines on Obstructive Sleep Apnea

A recent article by Dr. Michael Breus has summarized the 3 major points to the newest guidelines set forth by the American College of Physicians for physicians treating individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The newest recommendations:

• Weight loss – Since weight loss can have a positive impact on obstructive sleep apnea, they are encouraging physicians to help their overweight OSA patients focus on weight loss.

• The ACP is also recommending CPAP as the first option for initial treatment of sleep apnea patients. However, the organization is also aware of the fact that many individuals do not use their prescribed CPAP.

• The ACP is also recommending that mandibular advancement devices (Oral Appliance Therapy / OAT) be considered for initial treatment of sleep apnea in patients who have adverse reactions to CPAP.

Drug therapy and surgery were not recommended within these guidelines for treating OSA.

Read more on this here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/sleep-apnea_b_4241113.html

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of Oral Appliance Therapy successfully for over 15 years. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option call us at (630)369-5508.

If I wear a night guard during sleep for grinding, can I consider the use of an oral device for snoring – apnea?

Many dentists and physicians often misunderstand the answer to this question.

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) treats snoring and apnea with the use of jaw retainers. This type of therapy is recommended for a variety of apnea patients, and for most snoring individuals. But many patients (and professionals) are not aware that OAT may well be an excellent choice in treating apnea in patients that grind their teeth during sleep. Wearing a CPAP, the most commonly prescribed treatment for apnea, is often very difficult for patients to tolerate, and even harder if additionally one needs to wear a night guard for teeth grinding.

It’s important to realize that there are over 80 oral devices for OSA and that not all are appropriate to use with patients who grind their teeth. If the wrong device is chosen, jaw pain can begin or increase. Many other devices are not strong enough to withhold the forces of teeth grinding. Choice selection of which oral device remains important.

Also, many medical and dental providers do not realize that if you wear a night guard and not treat your apnea, you have approximately a 40-50% chance of making the apnea worse, which can cause serious harm to your health. Best options for apnea patients that grind their teeth include:

1. CPAP therapy together with the use of a night guard for grinding

OR

2. Use of one specialty oral apnea appliance that can protect teeth from harmful teeth grinding wear AND treats the apnea.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy.