After the age of 40, most people snore. Yes, men and women! The primary cause of snoring/sleep apnea is the tongue blocking off the back of the throat and airway.
The options for treatment of snoring/sleep apnea are:
1) A CPAP machine which forces air past the tongue blocking the airway in the back of the throat.
2) A removable dental appliance (Sleep Apnea Device, SAD) worn on the upper and lower teeth, similar to a nightguard, that pulls the lower jaw forward slightly while you are sleeping. The tongue is attached to the lower jaw. When the lower jaw is moved forward slightly while you are sleeping, the tongue moves forward with the lower jaw, away from the back of the throat. The airway is no longer blocked, greatly reducing or eliminating snoring /sleep apnea.
The dental sleep apnea device is very effective in almost all cases. Most patients hate the C-pap machine because 1) it is cumbersome, 2) it has a face mask attached to a hose attached to a motor which limits your mobility while sleeping, 3) it makes noise, 4) it can be a problem traveling with the machine on a plane, 5) the sound, hose, etc. can disturb your sleeping partner and 6) few things in life are less romantic than a CPAP machine.
The dental SAD is simple and snaps on the upper and lower teeth similar to a nightguard. You place it on your night stand and do not snap it onto your teeth until you turn out the light and are ready to go to sleep. It takes less than 5 seconds to place the dental SAD on the teeth. It is comfortable, does not affect your ability to change position while sleeping, does not affect your sleeping partner at all, is easy to maintain and keep clean and fits in a small box about the size of a doughnut while traveling. You and your sleeping partner will love the dental SAD!
Medical insurance generally pays a portion of the cost if you have sleep apnea.
Call our office for more information on the SomnoMed sleep apnea appliance.