At Night Oral Sleep Appliances

How could a sleep appliance benefit you?

If you frequently wake up during the night to go to the bathroom or experience restless sleep, you might benefit from an appliance designed to improve your nighttime breathing. As we sleep, our muscles completely relax, and if the tongue falls back into the throat, it can obstruct airflow, often leading to snoring or gasping for breath. These instances are oxygen-related sleep disturbances. Grinding and clenching are often reflexes of the body trying to get more oxygen. While night guards intended for these issues protect your teeth, they can worsen the problem by pushing the lower jaw back, adding stress to the TMJ and jaw muscles, and reducing airway space. In contrast, our range of innovative treatment options can open your airway, increase oxygen flow, and enhance your sleep quality, significantly improving your overall well-being.

We offer custom-made appliances that fit on the lower jaw, positioning it to enhance airflow and allowing it to move freely forward to keep the airway open during sleep. Additionally, we provide appliances that fit on both the upper and lower jaws, connected by a hinge or band to maintain continuous airflow by holding the lower jaw in an optimal position. This option is a medically approved treatment for sleep apnea and is often covered by insurance with a sleep apnea diagnosis.

For a more permanent solution, jaw expansion and forward development can effectively reshape the palate and reposition the jaws, though this isn't suitable for every adult. For those preferring a quick, nightly solution, oral night appliances are an excellent option.

To assess your airway, we use our ECCO pharyngometer machine, specially designed to evaluate the health of your nasal and oral airways as well as how they would respond to appliances or airway orthodontic approaches that position the jaw forward. Each type of appliance has its own pros and cons, so it’s crucial to work with a dentist trained in airway health and development to find the best solution tailored to your needs.