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In the United States, you may call 1-877-77APNEA to be connected directly to a dental office in your neighborhood.
Our take on appliances sold over-the-counter and on the Internet
As you might suspect, we don't exactly advocate the do-it-yourself appliances for snoring, but we do understand why they are an attractive option for you.
There are, of course, a couple of caveats of which you should be aware.
First, by reducing or eliminating the snoring sounds before you have a sleep study, you may be masking the first-alert warning that sleep apnea may be a problem. Many times the bed partner becomes aware of a serious problem when the snorer stops breathing many times throughout the night. Second, because these appliances do hold the jaw in a forward position, there are, at times,problems like shifting of tooth position and pain in the joints to contend with. Finally, these appliances may not function effectively, leading you to believe that all oral appliances are not worth the time or money.
We've included a couple of scientific references about these topics for you.
There are a couple of things that do need to be said if you have tried these over-the-counter appliances.
We don't advocate the use of these appliances for snoring for the above reasons but if you have used one of these so-called do-it-yourself boil-and-bite appliances and have found it to be successful you owe it to yourself to experience the real comfort and effectiveness of a professionally made appliance. Doctors tell us that they have seen many patients who have had limited success with an Internet purchased appliance but have been uncomfortable with the bulkiness or the fact that it keeps falling out. These patients have been extremely happy and comfortable with their custom made and fitted appliances.
If, on the other hand, you have been totally dissatisfied with the over-the-counter appliance but still snore or cannot tolerate your CPAP unit, you really do owe it to yourself and to your loved ones, to try an effective, comfortable dental appliance for snoring and sleep apnea.
Tsuda, H., F. Almeida, et al. (2010). "Side effects of boil and bite type
oral appliance therapy in sleep apnea patients." Sleep and Breathing 14(3):
227-232.
Vanderveken, O. M., A. Devolder, et al. (2008). "Comparison of a custom-made
and a thermoplastic oral appliance for the treatment of mild sleep apnea."
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 178(2): 197-202.
