Why a Custom Oral Appliance Excels in Treating Sleep Apnea

Each night is a struggle to get the rest you need thanks to sleep apnea and you simply want a solution that works with the least amount of fuss. Millions of Americans have sleep apnea (about 30 million to be more precise), and many have turned to oral appliance therapy with great success.

This approach to resolving sleep apnea and snoring is one that Dr. Dana J. Rockey and the teams at South County Sleep Solutions and Prescott Sleep Solutions, embrace wholeheartedly, but only when it’s done right.

Here, we take a look at why getting a custom made oral appliance for your sleep apnea is so important.

Oral appliance therapy as a solution for sleep apnea

When we talk about oral appliance therapy, we’re referring to devices that you place in your mouth to manage sleep apnea.

When you have obstructive sleep apnea, soft tissues in the back of your throat collapse while you sleep, blocking your airways. To breathe again, your brain wakes you just enough to clear your throat, over and over throughout the night.

When we treat sleep apnea, our goal is to keep your airways open while you sleep so you can breathe easily through the night and get your rest. 

To do this, we offer two different oral appliances:

1. Jaw advancement device

With this oral appliance, your lower jaw is held slightly forward while you sleep, which prevents it from slipping back and allowing the soft tissues to collapse.

2. Tongue splint device

This appliance holds your tongue forward so that it doesn't slip backward and block your throat while you’re sleeping.

Why a custom appliance is best

You can shop for over-the-counter oral appliances for sleep apnea, but we caution you against this practice.

First and foremost, you’re already losing sleep due to sleep apnea, so don’t lose any more with a device that doesn’t fit the unique characteristics and shape of your mouth. Placing an ill-fitting, one-size-fits-all oral appliance into your mouth is uncomfortable, at best, and often can do more harm than good, leaving you with sore jaws and gums the next day.

With a custom device, we measure your mouth and make an impression, which we send off to a dedicated laboratory for a sleep apnea appliance that fits your mouth, and your mouth alone. This helps greatly in terms of comfort.

With a custom device by one of our preferred manufacturers, we can also be sure that the appliance is doing its job and is made of the best materials. 

When your appliance is ready, you come back to the office so we can make sure it fits your mouth comfortably, making adjustments as necessary.

Managing your sleep apnea is far too important to entrust to over-the-counter products. For a custom solution for your sleep apnea, please call us at 949-558-0554 in Newport Beach, California, or 928-235-6925 in Prescott, Arizona, to schedule an appointment to learn more about oral appliance therapy.