Oral Sleep Appliances

How an Oral Appliance Opens your Airway

Your throat may be closing due to your tongue and soft tissues collapsing without an Oral Appliance.

With an Oral Appliance your jaw is held forward and the airway remains open.

An oral appliance works by opening the bite and gently advancing the mandible (or lower jaw) to increase airway space. An FDA approved custom-made oral appliance is only available through dentists like Dr. Diemer and Dr. Tiller who are specially educated and trained in dental sleep medicine in tandem with your physician and/or a sleep physician by prescription.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea & Snoring

At least 80 million Americans snore which can result in excessive day-time sleepiness, adversely affect the sleep quality of the snorer's bed partner and diminish the overall quality of life. Snoring is a sign of restricted airflow and impeded breathing during sleep. As such, snoring may be a sign of a more threatening disorder called obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a debilitating sleep-related breathing disorder defined as the cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more (apnea is a Greek word meaning "without air''). During sleep, the body's muscles relax and can cause the soft tissue of the airway to collapse, obstructing the airway. The body reacts to the closure of the airway by disrupting deep sleep enough to start breathing again but deprives the sufferer of getting a "good night's sleep".

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) afflicts over 40 million Americans. Untreated, OSA can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness. Worse, it can contribute to heart disease, stroke, anxiety or depression, ADHD and other disorders. OSA can prevent you from getting the amount of REM sleep you need for memory and can prevent you from going into the deep sleep needed for hormone regulation. This results in more than just sleepiness, it can affect your whole health and well-being.

Treatment of OSA & Snoring

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine now recommends oral appliances as a front line of treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, and in cases where CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) has not been tolerated. What people like about oral appliances is that they fit entirely inside the mouth, are portable, do not use electricity or make noise that would bother a sleeping partner. They also allow the wearer to change sleep positions. EMA, TAP, and Clearsleep are among some of the FDA approved treatment modalities offered for both obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.