Sleep Apnea and a CPAP go hand in hand. Without a doubt, it is the first thing that will pop up in someone’s mind when you mention one or the other. But that’s beginning to change.

Oral Appliance Therapy is the new favorite, and it’s beginning to change the way the game is played.

How Oral Appliance Therapy works

A dentist will make you a mouthpiece that you place in your mouth every night before bed. The mouthpiece repositions your lower jaw to give more space in your airway. As a positive side effect, the mouthpiece can also help alleviate other breathing problems that may occur during the night.

There are usually regular adjustments that take place with the mouthpiece to ensure it is fit correctly for ease and comfort.

Where a mouthpiece beats out the CPAP

The CPAP is usually the go-to for most sleep doctors, however, they tend to not work. Not because the machine is faulty or it’s an ineffective solution or anything, but because it’s hard to get patients to wear the CPAP.

Not only can CPAPs be difficult to continually wear, but they have tons of side effects that come with them. Among those are

• Air leaking from the CPAP machine
• Dry nose or mouth
• Discomfort while wearing the mask
• Nausea
• Sneezing

With all of these CPAP compliance LESS THAN 50%. Meanwhile, Oral Appliance compliance was found to be 91% in a recent study. How hard is it really to decide which one’s the better option.

Is there any use for a CPAP any more?

While the Oral Appliance is becoming more mainstream and the go to first response, the CPAP isn’t out of it yet. In severe cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Oral Appliances have been found to be less effective than the CPAP in most cases.

However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine still recommends oral appliances as a first-line therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea and for those severe sleep apnea sufferers whose CPAP treatment has failed.

Our Protocol at Premier Sleep Solutions

Call us today and we can get you set up with an appointment for a Polysomnography. It’s our go-to test to diagnose most sleep disorders. It’s the gold standard. We will assess your condition and decide whether or not Oral Appliance is the best option for you.