Dental Appliance - does it work ?

[Kite]

Does anyone have experience using a dental appliance as therapy for apnea/UARS ? My sleep doc recommended this as an alternative to CPAP because of travel and the usual hassles of CPAP therapy. I am a mouth breather so I have some reservations. I found a dentist who speclaizes in treating sleep apnea (this is all he does) and he comes highly recommended from several sources. The device is expensive though (approx $3k) and can cause other problems I don't have at the moment such as moving teeth, bruxism, etc. Any experiences would be most welcome -- thank you !

[Velbor]

See the very recent discussion thread at:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42480&p=374282

[frustratedmary]

I tried the dental appliance for 6 months. I was not successful because of the epiglottis involved too. I went to a prostadontist for mine. The cost was $1400. I heard the success rate was 80% for mild to moderate sleep apnea. My ENT doc said My upper airway would have been successfully treated with the appliance. Now I'm on cpap. The appliance was easier. In the 6 months I wore mine I notice a change in my bite. It did go back to normal now. Also my jaw, I had to manually push my bottom jaw back in the morning. I've heard a wide range of prices. Mine seems about mid range. Good luck in whatever you decide.