What is an Oral Sleep Appliance?
An oral sleep appliance is a device that indirectly opens the airway near the base of the tongue allowing more freedom of air movement that can reduce snoring and episodes of apnea.
Are there different types of Oral Appliances?
There are two main types of oral sleep appliances.
The first device is a soft material that simply moves the tongue forward by suctioning onto the tip of the tongue. The body of the appliance sits outside of the mouth. Its effect is similar to sticking out your tongue and holding it there. These devices are generally manufactured and are available in different sizes.
The other type of appliance is similar to a mouthguard for the upper and lower teeth that causes the lower jaw or mandible to move forward. These appliances are referred to as mandibular advancement devices and are custom-made for each patient. The device is made of a special acrylic that will fit comfortably over the upper and lower teeth and it will hold the lower jaw slightly forward. This advancement of the mandible will advance the tongue and soft tissues of the throat to open the airway to assist with normal breathing during sleep. Some types of mandibular advancement devices are adjustable and allow the patient to gradually advance the lower jaw under the dentist's supervision to improve the effectiveness of the device. The dentist will supervise the adjusting of the appliance to obtain the desired result. The coordination of adjusting the appliance and monitoring the quality of sleep is referred to as “titrating.”
