TMJ, night guard, CPAP combo help needed

Jules,

I forgot I wanted to express my condolences for the loss of your cat. I had a fabulous golden retriever who died from hemangiosarcoma in 1988. I'm sure you did what was best for her. A heart wrenching decision, but they count on us to relieve them from pain and suffering.

JZ

I think there are two different types of devices being discussed here. I started having severe TMJ problems not long after starting CPAP. My dentist made me the type of device I think Jules is referring to - a custom-made bite guard that fills my whole mouth, all the way around the upper and lower arches. He hoped it would not only fix the TMJ, but also eliminate the need for CPAP. I paid the $450 to have it made mostly because he said if it didn't work, to come back and he'd make the other type for no charge. The full device failed on night #1, with me snoring like a freight train and my wife moving to another room.

So he made an NTI device, such as described here: http://www.headacheprevention.com/. I've only had it a few days so I can't report any results, but this is FAR less intrusive and easier to fall asleep with. I think his normal charge for it is $375.

this is it

soft side against upper teeth - whitish soft plastic




hard side - clear acrylic - there are notches in it where the lower teeth (allegedly) would hit it

Jules,
So sorry to hear about your kitty - a beautiful kitty, by the way. They certainly claim a place in our heart that feels their absence painfully, don't they! Sorry you're hurting, but you lovingly chose to hurt instead of her. Tough time - and then to be aggravated by all this other stuff. Aarrgghh! Hope your ear and sinuses feel better soon.
Kathy

Thank you Kathy.

We knew this loss of Dot was coming but I don't think that made it any easier. She came out of the surgery in May all full of energy and was back being a kitten and had almost 5 good weeks. But about a week ago I think she sensed the cancer was back. That was about the time she started on another decline and we knew over the weekend that this was going to be it and I felt a need to stop her discomfort and not prolong it. I hated to have to do that but it was best.

This was the "bad" cat who learned how to block the exhaust vents on the swift with her paw to stop the hissing air.

There's nothing I can say to give concrete advice about TMJ, jules, I just want so tell you I hope things work out well soon. There is so much elegant c-a-t in that picture of DOT -- she must have been a real charachter!

O.

Dot was a character in her own way. She is the only cat we have had that put away her toys as a young cat - she put them back where she found them so she could find them again. I think she didn't like living in a messy house.

She also tried to chase deer out of the yard and scared herself doing it. Well maybe it wasn't her who scared herself but she hissed at 4 deer and had 3 of them walk up to her instead of run away. She kept her distance from deer for a long time after that but this last year she started chirping at them as if they were birds.

Update-I called the dentist's office and voiced two concerns with a few more details.

The first is how toxic this gadget is and that it would be 2 or 3 months before I could probably think of using it. It was worse than the optilife, which was still too toxic after 3 months. I also indicated the composition of this wasn't what I was expecting.

The second concern was that even if I could wear it in a couple months if it "outgassed" in that time, I couldn't wear it because it was too thick and kept my mouth too far open to be able to use it with CPAP. (Don't suggest a FFM - I get AHI output like what bleeping beauty posted with a FFM half the time however sans the leaks she is having.)

I indicated that I uttered both of these concerns yesterday as this man was ushering me out.

I also said that I didn't mind paying for something that I had a chance to use but this wasn't it.

I reminded them that yesterday was the end of my insurance year (runs July 1 - June 30). Even thought I had not met any of my deductible for dental stuff for "last" year, because of the pain, I chose to get it in June.

Let's see what the next chapter next week brings. The man comes in on Tuesdays and they won't contact him between now and then.