In this installment of our video FAQ series on sleep disorders, we discuss oral appliances to stop snoring and to reduce obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. This series has been created to address your questions about sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. If your question has not been answered, please subscribe to our YouTube channel to be alerted when a new FAQ video is posted. If you need information quickly, feel free to Contact us here on the site or on our Facebook page. We'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
In this video I display an example of an oral appliance. As you will see, there are two denture-like devices; a lower denture, and an upper denture. On the lower denture is a little wing-like device. And on the upper denture is a screw-like device. This works by advancing the screws against the wing, causing the lower denture to move forward and thus bringing the tongue away from the back wall of the throat relieving the upper airway obstruction.
Oral appliances are approximately 60% to 80% effective at reducing or eliminating snoring, and they are about 50% effective at reducing the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. They are best used in patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea, or in patients with severe sleep apnea syndrome who refuse to use nasal CPAP or are intolerant to nasal CPAP.
Dr. Ronald A. Popper is a Board Certified sleep specialist. The Southern California Pulmonary and Sleep Disorders Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California is a four bed, state of the art, fully accredited sleep disorders center. Dr. Popper is available at (805) 557-9930 to answer any questions you have regarding diagnosis and treatment of all sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, restless limb syndrome, insomnia, narcolepsy, and others.
Watch the video above, and then Click Here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Popper if you would like to talk about how you can stop snoring, address your obstructive sleep apnea or discuss any other sleep disorder.