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.

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.

For the past fifteen years,  we have been working with patients who suffer from snoring and sleep apnea. We find it a privilege to improve their quality of lives and sleep with oral devices that help them reach peaceful sleep. These oral devices are small, convenient and fit in the palm of your hand, far easier to deal with than previous failed attempts of CPAP therapy (often prescribed for snoring and apnea patients). Simply, these devices save lives.

One of the obstacles of moving forward with oral appliance therapy that we often hear from our newer patients includes cost and payments. So here are a few facts we put together.

• In most cases,  medical insurance reimburses a large portion of the service and device if the claim is properly handled.

• If insurance should not cover your situation, let’s do the math. If you consider the wide range of oral devices for snoring and apnea, let’s choose as a sample to use a longer lasting high quality custom device. A new custom type quality mouth device for snoring and apnea can last 3 years and usually much longer. (One of my patients who came in yesterday brought in his 10 year old oral appliance, and it is still in great shape!)  If you wore your oral device every night for 3 years, it would only cost you $2.47 a night.  If you compare that to a tall cup of Starbuck’s coffee which averages $3.00, that is 53 cents more a day to drink coffee than to wear a much needed, life saving device.

• Ask us if there is a temporary option using a lower quality and not as highly custom type device for you. For some patients,  this device can give some relief but we still recommend working with a dentist trained and willing to help you with this.  Side effects for these devices are often worse than  FDA approved adjustable custom devices.

Let us look at some of the possible outcomes with the lack of treatment in relation to obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. There are thousands of dollars of cost that often accompany these conditions.

• High Blood Pressure
• Stroke
• Heart Attack
• Morning Headaches that last all day.
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Mood Changes
• Relationship strains
• Higher traveling expenses (separate rooms)

Consider this: An oral appliance last years and profoundly change the quality of your life, especially if you have already attempted CPAP therapy. Make sleep a number one priority in your life! Peaceful, restful nights can add years to your life.

It is very common to experience side effects from oral devices for snoring, especially in the first few weeks of use.  Some of the more common side effects include:

• Increased drooling and /or dry mouth
• Short term slight to moderate discomfort in the jaw and the teeth
• Minor shifting or movement of the teeth.

These symptoms are usually short lived and resolve themselves after a few weeks.  However it is essential to have a dental professional trained in dental sleep medicine observe these side effects and manage your home care.

Morning retainers can help prevent potential side effects of tooth movement or shifting and help prevent jaw movement.

One of the biggest concerns of media based oral devices is that there is no professional instruction available. Patients that are wearing these devices have the potential of long lasting side effects and no professional follow-up.

Although some of the internet obtained devices such as Pure Sleep may have some marginal effects for some people, it is important to note that as little as a few weeks we see lisping and tooth movement in some individuals.  Unfortunately, waiting to long to evaluate possible tooth movements can lead for the need of orthodontics (braces) to reverse.

For more information on side effects, please visit our audio podcasts on the dangers of media based oral devices as we interview Dr. Gale Demko, a sleep apnea expert as well as a consultant for the FDA.

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 in Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option call us at (630)369-5508.

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