When you go to the doctor to address your snoring problem, there are going to be a range of treatment options made available to you after you have gone through a full evaluation. Chances are the doctor will send you to complete a thorough procedure called a sleep study so that he can see just how severe your snoring problem is. This sleep study will help the specialist to make an official diagnosis of either obstructive sleep apnea, mild sleep apnea or a mild case of snoring.
Your doctor should explain to you that your snoring is the result of a partial obstruction of the airway caused by the flapping and vibrating of tissues in the back of the throat and the soft palate. Of course, a full obstruction is more severe and should usually warrant a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. After you've been diagnosed, the doctor will give you a few options to correct the problem and hopefully prevent snoring at night. One of the major options that are used to treat sleep apnea is CPAP, which involves wearing a special mask so that air can be forced through your nasal passageways.
Another treatment solution for snoring and mild sleep apnea is snoring mouth guards. These types of mouth guards basically position your jaw and tongue in place so that your airways aren't obstructed and so that snoring can be prevented. There are actually a few different types of snore guards that your dentist or medical professionals should make you aware of, all of which can treat snoring and certain cases of sleep apnea.
How Snore Mouth Guards Work
A snoring mouth guard utilizes the fact that your lower jawbone is connected to the tongue. The guard fits over your jaw in such a way that it protrudes the jaw and lifts both the tongue and a flap of cartilage called the epiglottis out of the way from the back of the throat. Thus, this relieves some of the tension and constriction that's caused by muscle relaxation as you sleep. Aside from lifting the lower jaw and the tongue out of the way, snoring mouth guards can also treat symptoms of TMJ disorders.
When you're fitted for one of these, you are required to have a sufficient number of healthy teeth in both your upper and lower set of teeth so that the mouth guard appliance can attach. If necessary, the dentist can set implants so that the guard will fit properly. During the snoring guard fitting, the dentist will take impressions of both your top and bottom teeth. These impressions, along with your protrusive bite registration that the dentist requires you to do, are sent to the lab so that the best-fitting mouth guard can be made.
Three Types of Snoring Guards
The first type of snoring mouth guard is the fixed jaw relation snore guard. Fixed jaw relationship snore guards can either be prefabricated appliances, custom-made devices or a device called the "NAPA" Appliance. Prefabricated snore guards are perhaps the least expensive and perhaps the easiest to fit because you don't necessarily need to take a trip to the dentist for it. Instead, these are what you might know as the boil and bite mouth guard often used in sports.
When you buy prefabricated appliances, you're typically instructed to bite down onto a double-sided tray that's lined with flexible plastic. When the material cools after you bite, impressions are made of both sets of your teeth and it essentially becomes an instant snoring mouth guard. Depending on your particular situation, the doctor may suggest you try one of these devices first to determine if you can adequately tolerate it. If you can, he may "upgrade" you to a better, more functional guard.
Another type of fixed jaw relation snore guard is the elastomeric appliance. Like the prefabricated appliance, elastomeric is also relatively inexpensive compared to other snoring mouth guards. This is perhaps the classic snoring mouth guard as impressions are made of both your upper and lower teeth. From those, the dentist makes plaster models as well as a protrusive bite registration, which are both shipped off to the lab in order to be custom-made. Most patients feel that elastomeric appliances are comfortable enough to use over the long-term. In addition, one of the advantages that elastomeric snoring mouth guards have is that they are virtually indestructible, produced out of silicone rubber and very capable of holding up well under pressure.
Finally, the NAPA Appliance is similar to the elastomeric appliances in terms of structure and function. This snoring mouth guard is made out of hard acrylic; eight clips that grasp the teeth hold the guard into place. In addition, a small breathing tube extends out in front, which is designed to keep the lips apart.
Semi-Adjustable Snore Guards
The second major type of snoring mouth guards are the semi-adjustable snore guards. Many semi-adjustable guards are often marketed under the name "SilentNite." Just as with the elastomeric appliance, the dentist makes plaster models of your upper and lower teeth. The lab manufactures a device that is basically a set of two separate plastic bit trays, which are attached with a simple hinge designed to protrude the lower jaw while still allowing the patient full function to open and close his mouth. A semi-adjustable snore guard is more expensive than fixed jaw relation snore guards.
Fully-Adjustable Guards
The third type of snoring mouth guards is those that are fully-adjustable. These are perhaps the most expensive of any of the types a dentist can use on a patient. The "Klearway" is one such type of guard that's often used.
As far as success rates are concerned, fully-adjustable guards are perhaps the most useful and typically provide the greatest relief from snoring as well as obstructive sleep apnea. These types of guards are specialty orthodontic devices that contain a jack screw assembly so the dentist can progressively increase your jaw protrusion. Though this is perhaps the most successful of all snoring mouth guards, it is the most expensive because it requires you to take several trips to the dentist to get a proper fit each time the screw must be adjusted.
All things considered, many patients do prefer snoring mouth guards to other solutions designed to relieve snoring at night. For example, the CPAP machine is one option that's often prescribed to relieve obstructive sleep apnea. However, many of these snoring mouth guards can successfully provide the same type of remedy, not requiring any awkward or bulky mask to be worn. No matter which guard you decide on, it's important that you and your doctor explore the entire range of options before a decision is made.
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