Mouth piece alternative to cpap machine ?

[KsUp]

Could I go to an ear nose and throat and see if a mouth piece could help me like a cpap could? I'm ok with a cpap now I just hear stuff about it and obviously it would be easier than a cpap. Is it worth a try ?

Can they be a good alternative to cpap to some ppl?
As far as I Know I have mild moderate OSA from the PolYsomnography

[nanwilson]

Some go to a dentist and get a mouth guard that they claim will help. I thinks its a 50/50 chance that it will work, apparently it moves your lower jaw forward and stops your tongue from falling back. I would suggest you do some reading as it has been discussed many times here on the forum. Do a search in the box above and see what you can come up with. The biggest negative I would think is the fact that there is no way to see if you are still have apneas like you can with the data on your machine.

[49er]

Could I go to an ear nose and throat and see if a mouth piece could help me like a cpap could? I'm ok with a cpap now I just hear stuff about it and obviously it would be easier than a cpap. Is it worth a try ?

Can they be a good alternative to cpap to some ppl?
As far as I Know I have mild moderate OSA from the PolYsomnography

KsUp, if you are interested in dental appliance instead of pap therapy, I strongly urge you to visit this forum, http://www.apneasupport.org/sleep-apnea ... n-f20.html and look for posts by sleepdent who is extremely knowledgeable.

Also, take a look at this study on oral appliances to see what the chances of success are for an adjustable appliance at your particular AHI which means reducing the AHI to 5 or below.

https://advancedbrainmonitoring.app.box ... 7pjn8s11y4

Finally, in my opinion, the skill and willingness of the practitioner to go the extra mile is extremely important and can greatly increase your odds of success.

And if your nasal potency isn't maximized and you are serious about dental appliance therapy as an option, you might want to look into that as according to sleepdent, that is vital for success.

Best of luck.

49er

[zorki1c]

My wife was on CPAP six years and this year got a mouth appliance which cost more than a machine. After I scored badly on the sleep test this year I asked the doctor of I could go straight to the moth appliance. I was diagnosed with severe apnea and he said it was pretty much a tossup whether the appliance would work for me. I initially got tested because I thought I could get an appliance if I had a problem--didn't think I could deal with a CPAP machine. But I went with the machine and it has been great for me. I have noticed my mate has some snoring issues with her appliance although not as bad as they were she had no apnea treatment. She still uses her machine when she is stuffed up because it's easier for her to breath.

[KsUp]

I've been over there before I'd rather just see an RNT I think but I know most people here are pro-cpap but my apnea is mild I think and I will take a chance cuz I don't like cpap that much but will use it if I have to


One more question , could a oral appliance help me even if I breathe through my nose while I sleep?

[JDS74]

Just a question because I don't know much of anything about oral appliances as an alternative to CPAP therapy.

Wihout additional sleep studies, how can you measure how well or poorly one of these devices is working for the patient?
Is a home sleep study good enough to tell?

[zoocrewphoto]

Just a question because I don't know much of anything about oral appliances as an alternative to CPAP therapy.

Wihout additional sleep studies, how can you measure how well or poorly one of these devices is working for the patient?
Is a home sleep study good enough to tell?

ABout all you can do at home is wear an oximeter all night to see what you oxygen levels do. That will help if that is the kind of sleep apnea you have. Some people have lots of small events that are stopped quickly by waking up quickly. So, their sleep is messed up, but their oxygen doesn't go down much.

The best way to check is with a sleep study, and then recheck over time since sleep apnea tends to get worse with age. I don't know how often that should be or how often insurance allows.

[SleepyToo2]

Check out this link: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1740756. It is the new sleep apnea guidelines from the American College of Physicians.

Although I do use CPAP every night, I do have a SilentNite oral appliance that I use if I am going on an overnight flight to Europe where I can't use my machine. I have severe sleep apnea, so your mileage may vary. The above link says that the evidence is best for weight loss (although some members of this forum, me included would say that it doesn't work) CPAP (although still not that strong) and then mandibular advancement devices (MADs). Surgery comes a long way behind.

Weight loss is always good if you are overweight or obese. If it helps your sleep apnea so much the better. The MAD may work if you have mild apnea (if it reduces the AHI by 50%, it may get you into the "normal" range of less than 5), but the more severe the apnea the less likely it is to be successful.

When I was using a straight nasal pillows mask I was using my SilentNite every night with success - it stopped my bruxism, and reduced my AHI even further than the machine alone was doing. Now I use a TapPap interface, which includes the top part of the SilentNite. I have been using the "new" version, but it had got a little "sloppy" in my mouth after several attempts at adjusting the fit. Last night, I went back to the "old" version - I think the slightly tighter fit worked better in stopping the gnashing of the teeth.

IMHO, from what I have read, surgery may or may not work, is likely to be very painful, and will take some time to heal (think extended leave if you are in the workforce). Also, if it is not done right, it can interfere with the ability to use CPAP later.

The point of the story is that you need to try what works for you. CPAP is the gold standard at present, but weight loss and a MAD may or may not work and you may need to go to a CPAP if they don't or if your apnea gets worse. Do lots of reading to be sure you get a balanced view, discuss with your physicians (remember a surgeon will say cutting is the answer to everything), and make your decision accordingly.