You must obtain a prescription from your sleep physician for an oral appliance. The patient will then meet with a Qualified or Board Certified member dentist of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine to have an appropriate appliance made. Over several weeks to months the dentist will adjust the appliance for fit and function and will then ask the sleep physician to repeat the sleep study to verify the effectiveness of the appliance.

Oral appliance therapy is a treatment option that may be an effective choice. While CPAP is considered the standard treatment it doesn’t work if you don’t use it. A custom fit oral appliance can be more comfortable to wear and therefore it is more likely to be used daily to help treat your condition. It fits similar to a retainer or mouth guard and helps to position your lower jaw in a forward position which improves on the opening of the airway. Since the device aids in the opening of the airway, it can help treat snoring and sleep apnea. The device is convenient when patients travel and they are easy to maintain and care for.