Sleep Apnea and Snoring Devices

I snore and read that it may be sleep apnea.  Are the snoring devices I see on TV safe and do they help sleep apnea?

Snoring is generally considered the universal sign of sleep apnea.  Snoring occurs due to a disruption of air flow through the nasal passages where the air is filtered and humidified and is better quality air to breathe.  This disruption, or blockage of air, is better known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  Since snoring doesn’t mean breathing has stopped,  a sleep study is always recommended to determine the type of sleep apnea and how severe. OSA is generally treated with a CPAP machine that forces a measured amount of oxygen through the nose.  Though this has a high rate of success some people have trouble using it. This is where you see on TV a simple mouthpiece can open the airway and stop the snoring.  Does it work? To a degree it does. It will open the airway; however, it is not a measured position for the jaw and does not claim to treat OSA.

 When I make a mouth appliance for patients for OSA or snoring I use a low frequency tensing and computer analysis to measure and relax the muscles of the jaw and airway.  This measured position of the jaw is extremely comfortable (especially for my patients with TMJ) and maximizes the airflow when breathing.  Call our office for a free consult if you think you have OSA at tel:815-730-9600 for our Shorewood location.