What is Oral Appliance Therapy?

Unlike continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliance therapy—a key component of dental sleep medicine—doesn’t require a machine, mask, distilled water, or electricity. Instead, an oral appliance is a dental device you wear in your mouth while sleeping. Some view it as similar to a mouthpiece or apnea mouthguard, but it’s an entirely different orthotic due to its specific function. Most oral appliances are mandibular advancement devices (MADs) that reposition the lower jaw to keep the upper airway open. We custom-fit every appliance to each patient to ensure maximum comfort and effectiveness. Regular, objective monitoring is part of our dental sleep medicine approach, ensuring the treatment works as designed so you can have confidence that you are protecting your sleep and health.

This sleep apnea treatment is only available through a sleep dentist. Be wary of any you see online or in a pharmacy. These one-size-fits-all mouthguards don’t reposition your jaw and won’t help with sleep apnea. Even if they claim to be a sleep apnea treatment, beware. An improperly fitted sleep apnea mouthpiece or mouthguard can cause temporomandibular joint disorder, an excruciating disorder in which your jaw is misaligned. Patients feel pain in their jaw joints that can travel throughout the rest of their bodies.

Types of Oral Appliances

Sleep apnea dental appliances come in two main types: fixed and adjustable. Here’s an overview of some frequently utilized sleep apnea appliances:

Mandibular Advancement Devices

SomnoMed is an effective sleep apnea device for those who have a large jaw arch.

SomnoMed—SomnoMed is a very effective sleep apnea device for those with a large jaw arch. It is made to be durable, and the materials used can withstand the pressure produced when the jaw is clenched at night. It treats both snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

ProSomnus Sleep Technologies – ProSomnus designs, manufactures, and markets FDA-cleared Class II medical devices that dentists use in dental sleep medicine to treat patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). ProSomnus Medical Devices are the first precision oral appliance therapy devices specifically engineered to enhance compliance, mitigate side effects, and enable dentists to achieve excellent patient experiences and outcomes. These innovative devices have been used to treat thousands of patients and are designed with a smaller profile, ensuring they are comfortable, hygienic, and easy to use. By incorporating dental sleep medicine principles, ProSomnus helps improve the quality of care for individuals with OSA.

The TAP 3 is designed in order to hold the jaw in a forward position so that the soft tissues, including the tongue, don’t obstruct the throat.TAP 3—The TAP 3 is designed to hold the jaw in a forward position so that the soft tissues, including the tongue, don’t obstruct the throat. It is usually prescribed to treat both sleep apnea and snoring.

Adjustable Herbst—The Adjustable Herbst sleep apnea device is often awarded for its durability and non-bulky design. It increases the anterior, posterior, and vertical position of the jaw. It benefits people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea because their soft palate collapses.

Tongue Retaining Devices

Also called the Tongue Retentive Device (TRD) and the very similar Tongue Stabilization Device (TSD), is an oral appliance that is great for those sleep apneics who also suffer from TMD.

TRD – Also called the Tongue Retentive Device (TRD) and the very similar Tongue Stabilization Device (TSD), is an oral appliance that is great for those sleep apneics who also suffer from TMD. The TRD holds the tongue forward using a suction bulb so that it doesn’t roll into the back of the throat and cause a blockage within the airway. This device is best suited for those with bigger tongues. However, it is not a well-preferred alternative because the sensation of having your tongue sucked out of your mouth is too unnatural for some.

Hybrid Oral Appliances

TAP-PAP – The TAP-PAP combination of the CPAP machine and the oral appliance is an effective method in dental sleep medicine for managing obstructive sleep apnea. This combination provides a steady flow of air and oxygen through the CPAP machine, while the oral appliance holds the nasal pillow mask securely in place. This setup translates to virtually no mask leaks, allowing patients to move around during sleep without being confined to back-sleeping, which is often a requirement for traditional CPAP use. Additionally, patients experience more comfort since the head and facial straps are eliminated, often resulting in lower CPAP pressure. By integrating oral appliance therapy into dental sleep medicine, this approach enhances patient compliance and overall treatment effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions

A mouth appliance, also known as a dental or oral appliance, is a treatment method in dental sleep medicine for obstructive sleep apnea. In this condition, your upper airway collapses while you sleep, and mouth appliances aim to keep it open. Most of these devices are mandibular advancement devices (MADs), which reposition your jaw to maintain an open airway. Others include tongue-retaining devices or tongue-stabilizing devices that reposition your tongue to prevent it from blocking your airway. By utilizing dental sleep medicine techniques, these appliances provide effective solutions for managing obstructive sleep apnea.

Start by asking friends who you know had sleep apnea but got it treated. If anyone has worked with a dentist, you can ask who they worked with. Also, visit sleep apnea treatment groups online to see if anyone in your area is recommending their dentist. You can also check the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) to see if there’s a credentialed dentist in your area. Finally, try an online search for “sleep dentists near me” and see who comes up. Pay attention to reviews and testimonials- solid evidence of apnea treatment experience.

There are a few alternatives to treat sleep apnea without a mask:

Oral appliance therapy: This treatment option for OSA repositions your upper airway to keep it from collapsing. It is a frontline treatment for people with mild to moderate OSA and a secondary treatment for people with severe OSA who can’t adapt to CPAP. 

Lifestyle modification: Lifestyle modification means making changes to your lifestyle to reduce the severity of OSA. Common modifications include changing your sleep position, avoiding alcohol at night, quitting smoking, increasing exercise, losing weight, and reducing allergen exposure. It is considered adjunctive therapy, a way to improve your results from other treatments rather than a standalone treatment.

Sleep apnea implants: For OSA, sleep apnea implants use electric shocks to stimulate your airway muscles to keep them active so they won’t relax and collapse. Implants for central sleep apnea (CSA) detect pauses in your breathing and then stimulate your muscles to breathe. 

Sleep apnea surgery: Surgical correction for sleep apnea modifies your airway in different ways to make it less likely to collapse.

Many people choose oral appliance therapy as a popular CPAP alternative due to its numerous benefits, including:

  • Effective management of bruxism (teeth grinding and jaw clenching)
  • Comfort in any sleeping position
  • Absence of a claustrophobic mask or irritating straps
  • No need for electricity, making it convenient for travel
  • Simple to use and easy to maintain
  • Quiet operation, allowing for undisturbed sleep

Not everyone experiences the benefits of dental sleep medicine in the same way. Oral appliance therapy can also be used alongside CPAP, making it a versatile option for those seeking relief from sleep-related issues. However, these approaches can also be used together effectively. For example, the TAP-PAP appliance repositions the jaw and serves as a CPAP mask, integrating both oral appliance therapy and CPAP treatment within dental sleep medicine. In other cases, individuals may use a CPAP machine at home while opting for an oral appliance during travel, offering flexibility in their treatment options. This combination allows patients to customize their approach to managing sleep apnea according to their specific needs and lifestyles.

Our bodies respond to constant or repeated pressure by reshaping our bones. This means that anything you do all night as you sleep can affect the shape and appearance of your face. CPAP masks can flatten your face and cause orthodontic problems. Oral appliances can also reshape your face. In fact, some appliances are designed to do this intentionally. The primary goal is often to expand the airway, which can essentially cure OSA in some cases but can also improve the appearance of your face.

Let An Oral Appliance Set You Free!

The Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center is Nebraska’s premier institution for dental sleep medicine. As the only facility in the region dedicated exclusively to sleep health, we address one of the most under-diagnosed and serious conditions: sleep apnea. Our mission is to reach every individual affected by sleep apnea and ensure they receive the necessary treatment to lead happy and healthy lives. We accomplish this by facilitating accurate diagnoses, educating patients on their treatment options, and delivering top-notch care for sleep apnea.

Are you experiencing issues or difficulties using your CPAP? Are you looking for an easy way to treat your sleep apnea, or simply want to stop snoring? Please contact our dental sleep experts in Omaha, NE, to schedule an appointment. Call now at (402) 493-4175 or use our online contact form to get started.