Treatment with oral appliance

Treatment with intraoral splints is a less invasive and an alternative for many disorders of breathing during sleep, such as snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA). It allows people to continue their lives normally, providing long-term relief.

It is a new globally recognized method of sleep disorders treatment, constantly-developing, with good results and many enthusiastic supporters.

 It allows people to continue their lives normally, providing long-term relief.

In our practice we built and installed only customized and accredited mechanized intraoral splints in accordance with the patient's problem, the anatomy of the mouth and the overall stomatological evaluation.



Intraoral prefixes are extremely effective in the management of disorders of sleep obstructive disorders, because it places the lower jaw and tongue in a more forward position during sleep.

As a result, jaw and tongue from the base move forward, opening the airway, making it easier to breath.
 
The treatment of snoring with an oral appliance stent gives virtually the same results as in most severe sleep disorders. The lower jaw is held in a more forward position during sleep, and the airway opens at the back of the neck.

Therefore, the troublesome snoring stops and calm sleep may continue. There is considerable evidence that the intense vibration of the soft palate caused by snoring, initiate an inflammatory response in this tissue.

Over time, this chronic tissue inflammation results in a more serious sleep disorder. The intraoral splint reduces or eliminates the swelling due to the interruption of the vibration.

Remember that even the "simple" snoring can disrupt the quality of sleep, as well as a partner’s!

The oral treatment is an excellent way to treat both snoring, and the OSA. No technique is effective for everyone. However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends the intraoral applications as first-line therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea and snoring, and for the most severe forms of sufferers whose CPAP therapy has failed.

According to a new study which received the Award Graduation at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Sleep Medicine Academy, the relationship between the volume of the tongue and the size of the jaw in patients with obstructive sleep apnea may help dentists calculate accurately and lead  to the success of the device during treatment.

Although the stents above and below the jaw have been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, the prediction of efficacy in individual patients has shown variations. A survey conducted with 49 patients examined whether anatomical factors related to the therapeutic effect which splints.

Each of the 49 study participants used an adapted two-piece stent during sleep. The outcome of treatment was assessed by polysomnografia (sleep study), after about six weeks of oral appliance application. The 24 patients responded to treatment, a decrease of apnea index - Hypopnoea by 50% or more.

Because patients who responded to treatment had a greater capacity of the tongue, the researchers argued that the determination of this relationship can help to predict the success of treatment.
Source: http://www.aasmnet.org/ (American Academy of Sleep Medicine)

               The pass rates of oral treatment compared with CPAP devices.

Anything new and different in the mouth takes a while to get used to, but in a recent study in the US, 91 percent of patients with sleep apnea treated with intraoral prosthesis, even used their splits in comfort at the end of a year. In comparison, the acceptance of the CPAP device is less than 50 percent. 
Studies show that if patients are given the option to choose treatment, the vast majority would choose oral therapy, compared with CPAP device.

Unfortunately, patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), almost always recommend treatment only with the CPAP device, without having the right to an alternative treatment option with intraoral splint. People with sleep apnea who could use this alternative treatment, but they have not been proposed, unfortunately continue living a reduced quality life

Treatment with  oral appliances compared with surgical treatment.

The surgery is definitely an option for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. However, keep in mind that surgery is quite tedious and often unsuccessful.
The success rates of the different surgical procedures ranges widely, between 20% and 90%.

Treatment with oral appliances is a less invasive and alternative solution, which does not exclude any other treatment and has the ability to combine them.