UARS, low numbers bad sleep, MMA, now on CPAP

Loreena wrote:

Better wrote:3. AveoTSD device to hold my tongue forward preventing it occluding my airway (this offers the BIGGEST benefit). Dental splints still let your tongue fall back.

Peter: quick question. So you are able to use the Aveo with the Quattro, there's enough space for the Aveo to fit under? Also, doesn't air leak from your mouth with the Aveo and if so, do you wake up with a very dry mouth? Or does the full face mask prevent that. I'm extremely interested with your use of the Aveo with the mask. Thanks very much for posting. I too have a problem with my tongue occluding my throat.

49er wrote:

Loreena wrote:

Better wrote:3. AveoTSD device to hold my tongue forward preventing it occluding my airway (this offers the BIGGEST benefit). Dental splints still let your tongue fall back.

Peter: quick question. So you are able to use the Aveo with the Quattro, there's enough space for the Aveo to fit under? Also, doesn't air leak from your mouth with the Aveo and if so, do you wake up with a very dry mouth? Or does the full face mask prevent that. I'm extremely interested with your use of the Aveo with the mask. Thanks very much for posting. I too have a problem with my tongue occluding my throat.

I am interested in Peter's response also so thanks for raising the issues Loreena. How do you know your tongue is occluding your throat? I don't think mine is but I just wanted to be sure this isn't an issue I have overlooked.

49er

Loreena wrote:

49er wrote:

Loreena wrote:

Better wrote:3. AveoTSD device to hold my tongue forward preventing it occluding my airway (this offers the BIGGEST benefit). Dental splints still let your tongue fall back.

Peter: quick question. So you are able to use the Aveo with the Quattro, there's enough space for the Aveo to fit under? Also, doesn't air leak from your mouth with the Aveo and if so, do you wake up with a very dry mouth? Or does the full face mask prevent that. I'm extremely interested with your use of the Aveo with the mask. Thanks very much for posting. I too have a problem with my tongue occluding my throat.

I am interested in Peter's response also so thanks for raising the issues Loreena. How do you know your tongue is occluding your throat? I don't think mine is but I just wanted to be sure this isn't an issue I have overlooked.

49er

I have to run somewhere quick now but in a nutshell: long apneas, what you call "frank apneas", that occur in clusters that can partially be remedied by high pressures, pressures I can no longer tolerate. Multiple ENTs saying that my situation is severe, caused by childhood orthodontia (bicuspid extraction and braces and wisdom teeth extractions) and some heredity issues. I just saw top surgeon for MMA surgery and his opinion is that my situation is that I am even too severe for MMA surgery, that any benefits will be outweighed by my situation getting progressively worse in a short time. Yeah, I'm in hell.

Loreena wrote:

Better wrote:3. AveoTSD device to hold my tongue forward preventing it occluding my airway (this offers the BIGGEST benefit). Dental splints still let your tongue fall back.

Peter: quick question. So you are able to use the Aveo with the Quattro, there's enough space for the Aveo to fit under? Also, doesn't air leak from your mouth with the Aveo and if so, do you wake up with a very dry mouth? Or does the full face mask prevent that. I'm extremely interested with your use of the Aveo with the mask. Thanks very much for posting. I too have a problem with my tongue occluding my throat.

49er wrote: How do you know your tongue is occluding your throat?

Better wrote:

49er wrote: How do you know your tongue is occluding your throat?

I made an educated guess and it paid off. My ENT wanted to do a tongue base coblation and a UPPP (among other things) as he said it is really crowded in my mouth ! I had braces to expand my lower teeth when a teenager plus extraction of both my eye teeth and some wisdom teeth too.

Specifically when I tried out the AveoTSD I began sleeping much better. Furthermore when it falls off I wake up, pure and simple cause and effect evidence for me. To stop it falling off I use dental cream/adhesive and it now never falls off (it used to a few times a week ) and I have tried both the M and L sizes. The distributor reckons I don't need the cream but he's not the one waking up !!

regards
Peter

Loreena wrote:[ Yeah, I'm in hell.

Loreena wrote:

Loreena wrote:[ Yeah, I'm in hell.

I should say I have a Plan B. Next week I'm flying out to California again to see a dentist who specializes in the use of the TwinBlock appliance with crozats framework. I got the referral from a wonderful lady at the "banning" forum who also gets this treatment. Essentially you wear a mouthpiece during the day which advances your lower jaw and a different one at night which does the same. After a year or so you can stop wearing the one in the day, but the night mouthpiece you will use forever. Apparently this treatment takes a number of years but evidentally by using 2 different mouthpieces in the beginning makes it easier on your facial muscles for the lower jaw to stay advanced during the night. I also have TMJ and his approach by using these mouthpieces is by treating the TMJ as well, with some sort of pads that cushion the TMJs. No one modifies the TwinBlock with crozats in this manner (I asked and called all over the place and googled as well). These mouthpieces are not the same as the standard oral appliances, i.e., Somnodent and TAP, but I will better be able to describe their differences once treatment begins. For anyone interested, do a search for "TwinBlock" at the other forum to get a better idea of this treatment. It seems every dentist/doctor on the cutting edge of sleep apnea is located in California. Why is that?

49er wrote:

Loreena wrote:

Loreena wrote:[ Yeah, I'm in hell.

I should say I have a Plan B. Next week I'm flying out to California again to see a dentist who specializes in the use of the TwinBlock appliance with crozats framework. I got the referral from a wonderful lady at the "banning" forum who also gets this treatment. Essentially you wear a mouthpiece during the day which advances your lower jaw and a different one at night which does the same. After a year or so you can stop wearing the one in the day, but the night mouthpiece you will use forever. Apparently this treatment takes a number of years but evidentally by using 2 different mouthpieces in the beginning makes it easier on your facial muscles for the lower jaw to stay advanced during the night. I also have TMJ and his approach by using these mouthpieces is by treating the TMJ as well, with some sort of pads that cushion the TMJs. No one modifies the TwinBlock with crozats in this manner (I asked and called all over the place and googled as well). These mouthpieces are not the same as the standard oral appliances, i.e., Somnodent and TAP, but I will better be able to describe their differences once treatment begins. For anyone interested, do a search for "TwinBlock" at the other forum to get a better idea of this treatment. It seems every dentist/doctor on the cutting edge of sleep apnea is located in California. Why is that?

Hi Loreena,

Any statistics on the effectiveness rate of the TwinBlock appliance in getting the AHI below 5 for the different apnea severity ranges? I tried to google this but didn't see any information.

Good luck with it and yes, please keep us posted.

49er

Loreena wrote:Good question, 49er. My interest is not in lowering my AHI--it is being able to lower the pressure. I am such a severe case, as noted by the top jaw surgeon of the country, that I know I will never be able to dispense with the cpap. When I used the Somnodent, indeed I was able to lower the pressure significantly, but that appliance was too bulky and moved my teeth as well as scraped the veneer (I think they make a Somnodent now though that doesn't scrape the veneer). The lady who referred me also uses the cpap with the mouthpiece. At this point I am only interested in moving my tongue away from the throat without harming the TMJs. Anyone thinking that the TwinBlock will be able to get them off the cpap--I am at a loss for those statistics. I am resigned to my fate. Cpap is not a problem for me. It is the constant struggle to stop the long apneas without the high pressures.

49er wrote:

Loreena wrote:

Loreena wrote:[ Yeah, I'm in hell.

I should say I have a Plan B. Next week I'm flying out to California again to see a dentist who specializes in the use of the TwinBlock appliance with crozats framework. I got the referral from a wonderful lady at the "banning" forum who also gets this treatment. Essentially you wear a mouthpiece during the day which advances your lower jaw and a different one at night which does the same. After a year or so you can stop wearing the one in the day, but the night mouthpiece you will use forever. Apparently this treatment takes a number of years but evidentally by using 2 different mouthpieces in the beginning makes it easier on your facial muscles for the lower jaw to stay advanced during the night. I also have TMJ and his approach by using these mouthpieces is by treating the TMJ as well, with some sort of pads that cushion the TMJs. No one modifies the TwinBlock with crozats in this manner (I asked and called all over the place and googled as well). These mouthpieces are not the same as the standard oral appliances, i.e., Somnodent and TAP, but I will better be able to describe their differences once treatment begins. For anyone interested, do a search for "TwinBlock" at the other forum to get a better idea of this treatment. It seems every dentist/doctor on the cutting edge of sleep apnea is located in California. Why is that?

Hi Loreena,

Any statistics on the effectiveness rate of the TwinBlock appliance in getting the AHI below 5 for the different apnea severity ranges? I tried to google this but didn't see any information.

Good luck with it and yes, please keep us posted.

49er

Better wrote: While I could use a CPAP nasal mask with the AveoTSD, I don't because CPAP gives me too much gastric insufflation.

SleepingUgly wrote:Peter, did you ever use a traditional MAD as opposed to the tongue retaining device?

Better wrote: I would be very surprised if a Mandibular Repositioning (Advancement) Device (MRD/MAD) can eliminate the tongue falling back as effectively as a tongue retaining device can.

Better wrote:In fact you can perform an experiment on yourself to prove this. Protrude your lower jaw forward as far as you can, now poke your tongue in and out while breathing through your nose. Notice how you can occlude your airway as your tongue rests back against the soft palate ?