Sleep Apnoea Treatments

Dental Sleep Appliances

Dental Appliance Therapy is scientifically proven as an effective and comfortable treatment for snoring and mild to moderate Sleep Apnoea. In more severe cases of Sleep Apnoea, dental appliances are an alternative therapy when other treatments such as CPAP are not tolerated.

Dental Appliance Therapy is also ideal for people who cannot use their CPAP machine while travelling, camping, or in any situation with no access to electricity.

The main way that appliances work is by preventing the tissues at the back of the throat and the base of the tongue from collapsing back into the airway.

There are many different appliances available to dentists. They are often referred to as Mandibular Advancement Splints or Dental Sleep Appliances. These appliances take the lower jaw forward bringing the tongue with it, thereby clearing the airway at the back of the throat.

The ideal most comfortable type of appliances are those made from impressions and models of the patient’s own teeth.

There are two basic types- non-adjustable and adjustable:

Non-adjustable - Many available appliances are non-adjustable, making the ideal forward position of the jaw a guess by the dentist.
Adjustable - An adjustable appliance is far superior because it allows the dentist, or importantly the patient, to slowly bring the lower jaw forward to the ideal most comfortable position to clear the airway.

Current scientific research demonstrates that the adjustable design as the most effective.

Benefits of Dental Appliance Therapy:

You and your partner can look forward to a quiet night of sleep.
Wake up refreshed.
Improved quality of life through greater vitality and participation
Improved work performance due to greater concentration and energy levels.
Decreased risk of fatigue-related vehicle and work accidents.
Decreased risk of heart disease, stroke and blood pressure problems.

An extra benefit

Many people clench and grind their teeth during sleep and are unaware that this is occurring. This is a common cause of damage to teeth and dental work. Dental Sleep Appliances have an added benefit of protecting teeth and dental work during sleep.