Sleep Apnea Appliances – Somnomed
Barrie, Ontario - Canada
Snoring, frequent gasping or chocking sounds and fatigue during daytime hours are just a few symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. If you have been diagnosed with this condition, cosmetic dentist Dr. Adam Chapnick can offer you treatment through oral appliance therapy.
Types of Oral Appliances
You may wonder how a mouthguard-type piece of plastic would eliminate sleep apnea. Mouthguards are used to protect your teeth during contact sports or prevent you from grinding your teeth at night. Sometimes they can even improve your athletic performance, as with Pure Power Mouthguards (PPM).
The oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea are slightly different because they change the position of your lower jaw (mandible) to allow your airway to remain open as you sleep.
There are many different types of sleep apnea appliances on the market today. The two oral appliances Dr. Chapnick uses in his Molson Park Dental Offices are:
- SomnoDent® MAS therapy by SomnoMed
- Thornton Adjustable Positioner® (TAP) by Airway Management, Inc.
SomnoMed Oral Appliance
The SomnoDent MAS device is a comfortable and adjustable mouthpiece that fits over your upper and lower teeth arches. Each piece is custom made in a dental laboratory to fit the exact contours of your mouth. The goal of the unit is to position your lower jaw forward as you sleep so the soft tissues in your mouth do not collapse on your airway. It can be adjusted to provide just the right amount of lower jaw movement.
One of the main advantages of the SomnoDent MAS product is that the upper and lower arches are not locked together so you can open your mouth freely while wearing it.
SomnoDent MAS can even be used if you have dental bridges or dental crowns; however, it is important to have a sufficient number of healthy teeth in your smile for the oral appliance to work.
TAP Oral Appliance
The TAP product is also a custom made, adjustable oral appliance that helps to keep your lower jaw positioned forward as you sleep. In this product the upper and lower arches are attached together via the TAP to ensure that your airway remains clear.
The advantage of the TAP is that you have control over the adjustments of your lower jaw positioning using a small key. You can use this key to make the necessary modifications to the setting of the appliance and then remove it before you sleep. Many patients like this degree of control over their mouthpiece and the level of comfort it provides.
If you live in the Barrie, areas and would like to learn more about sleep apnea appliances, please contact cosmetic dentist Dr. Adam Chapnick at Molson Park Dental Office to schedule a sleep apnea treatment consultation.
