mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
SergheiGVA
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:28 am

mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

Post by SergheiGVA » Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:39 am

Hello All,

I’m new to this forum. Thank you for accepting me.

I am 49 years old and live in Switzerland. (English is not my mother tongue, sorry for my basic English.)

First fatigue/sleep problems started late 2016.

I had my first polysomnography in 2019.
They diagnosed sleep hypopnea/apnea.
I first started using forced lateral positioning system in order to avoid sleeping on my back, but no results.
...and then I used a CPAP for 6 months with proper setup and regular checks with the technicians and physicians.
But again, no results even though everything was properly followed (setup, checks, ...).
Then I told my physician that it was a bit weird to use a CPAP machine for 6 months with no improvement and decided to "ditch" it.

...as you may guess the problem didn't disappear. But increased.

In July this year I was sent to the sleeping center again for a second polysomnography. ...and the results were a bit worse than what was recorded in 2019. ...again,
their recommendation is to use a CPAP.

Chances are that after using a CPAP again it won't fix my problem.[/code][/code]

...Do you have positive results using mandibular advancement splint/orthosis ?

KittyMom22
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Re: mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

Post by KittyMom22 » Mon Oct 24, 2022 6:15 am

I have a mandibular advancement device that fits over my teeth inside my mouth. Is that what you mean?

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

Post by ChicagoGranny » Mon Oct 24, 2022 12:21 pm

KittyMom22 wrote:
Mon Oct 24, 2022 6:15 am
I have a mandibular advancement device that fits over my teeth inside my mouth. Is that what you mean?
But apparently, you use your MAD and CPAP??

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

Post by ChicagoGranny » Mon Oct 24, 2022 12:24 pm

SergheiGVA wrote:
Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:39 am
even though everything was properly followed (setup, checks, ...).
While using CPAP, what was your AHI, 95% leak, and 95% pressure? Which model machine do you have?

Janknitz
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Re: mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

Post by Janknitz » Mon Oct 24, 2022 7:49 pm

Sometimes--very rarely, CPAP just doesn't work for someone with apnea issues.

But more often, it's not effective because the settings are not optimized, or the user isn't using it enough to make a difference.

It's hard to tell in your case. Can you give us more details about your sleep studies which should give you a measurement of your AHI (Apnea Hypopnea Index) and also what your oxygen saturation levels were during the test? What was your AHI when you were using CPAP before? Did your health care provider ever look at detailed charts to see if there were any issues while using the device?

Mandibular advancement splints work for some. My dentist--who could have made a good amount of money from my by making an Mandibular Advancement Splint--was very honest with me that with the severity of my sleep apnea and the configuration of my jaw, he was going to be taking my money for little or no benefit to me. He also said that even in his patients who do best with the devices, there is pressure on the jaw and TMJ that can have long term effects. He has his patients do a series of exercises in the morning after removing the device to reduce those effects.

Custom made mandibular advancement splints cost around $2000 USD and insurance rarely covers it. So it's a little hard to experiment here. In Switzerland, you may not have to pay out of pocket for the device, and in that case, it might be worth a try. After you get used to wearing such a device, you can have another sleep study while wearing it to see if the improvement in AHI is sufficient. And, of course, you have to judge if you actually feel better, too.

Keep us posted.
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zonker
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Re: mandibular advancement splint/orthosis

Post by zonker » Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:53 pm

op hasn't been here since s/he posted.
people say i'm self absorbed.
but that's enough about them.
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