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Hi, has anyone here tried the Zyppah dental appliance? I have seen ads for it all over the internet lately, but I can't find any user reviews, so perhaps it is still new. It basically looks like a rubbery mouthguard for upper & lower teeth. The info on it shows there are 2 versions..... 1. an inexpensive generic model, which may help with mild to moderate apneas and snoring, and 2. a "professional" and more expensive model which is customized by a dentist and has rubber bands to tighten up to 5 levels, and is used for more severe apneas. I have severe OSA and have used a CPAP every night for about 5 years, but it sure would be nice not to have to deal with all that equipment especially on camping trips, etc. Some of the literature indicated the Zyppah is a real breakthrough for OSA patients with severe apneas, but I am wondering if that is just advertising schtick. Has anyone here actually tried it, or know anyone who has?

Thanks,
Jan

Schtick, most certainly; unless someone can post results from independent clinical studies.
Advertising is paid lying, for the most part.

Bob Eubanks? Give me a break.

It probably wouldn't hurt to try it. At $10 (shipping included), it seems fairly affordable.

Will it cure sleep apnea? Almost 100% it won't cure my severe case. For those with mild or marginal SA, it would not hurt to try it.

Wait! This is a SNORING remedy! Even the company won't mention "apnea".
Doesn't that make some kind of alarm go off?
It does for me!

DreamStalker wrote:It probably wouldn't hurt to try it. At $10 (shipping included), it seems fairly affordable.

It's not $10. This is a new style of gimmick that commercials use. This a 30 day trial for $10. Don't return it within 30 days, and you will be billed for another $80.

It might stop snoring, but that doesn't mean that it will stop sleep apnea. My mom has severe sleep apnea. Apneas over a minute long. She doesn't snore. She simply stops breathing for long periods of time. I used to stand there and watch her,thinking I just wasn't see her chest move. It really wasn't moving. No wonder she had the look of death.

Without a way to truly test for apneas while using it, I would not risk my health on something like that.

Zoocrew, IMHO you will be lucky if it is only $80 extra ... even if you are right for now they will have you on their "sucker" mailing list with lots more products with the same teaser price!

Also IMHO, I think these devices are deadly dangerous because they will trick people into thinking that snoring is the only sign of sleep apnea - if you quiet the snoring, you will quiet the apnea. That is extremely dangerous. You absolutely need professional help with diagnosing whether your snoring is just snoring, or if it is actually a sign of sleep apnea with the possibility (probability? Certainly was in my case) of dangerous reductions in oxygen levels.

SleepyToo2 wrote:Zoocrew, IMHO you will be lucky if it is only $80 extra ... even if you are right for now they will have you on their "sucker" mailing list with lots more products with the same teaser price!

Also IMHO, I think these devices are deadly dangerous because they will trick people into thinking that snoring is the only sign of sleep apnea - if you quiet the snoring, you will quiet the apnea. That is extremely dangerous. You absolutely need professional help with diagnosing whether your snoring is just snoring, or if it is actually a sign of sleep apnea with the possibility (probability? Certainly was in my case) of dangerous reductions in oxygen levels.

Exactly, they give the impression that everything is fine if the snoring stops, and that isn't true. My mom's sleep apnea is very severe, yet I have never heard her snore. Even when she wasn't using her machine, and she sleeps in the living room. And I have shared hotel rooms with her. She does not snore. But she does stop breathing, and for long times. She was still having bad apneas even with cpap pressure of 10.

This is why data is so important to treatment. Without the data from MY machine, we would not have known that her pressure setting was not providing enough therapy. Unless they come up with a way for a person to check test their treatment on a regular basis with a dental device, I don't see how they could be considered safe. Even if helps somebody with mild sleep apnea, we can change over time, and they wouldn't know when the dental device was no longer providing enough therapy. It is dangerous to assume treatment is good with no way to verify it. That's like assuming that medication is treating diabetes without checking the blood on a regular basis, or assuming that the blood pressure medicine is working, just because it helps most people. You still have to check it on a regular basis to make sure it is working.

Hey, all, I'm not sure we should write this device off so fast. First of all, they have a higher-powered model specifically for OSA.... I think some of the earlier comments indicated websites for the snoring model only were being looked at. Second of all, it appears there is some independently verifiable testing available and documented. Third of all, it looks like they have just started marketing it within the last 6 months, so that could be why we haven't heard of it much before in the OSA community. I am intrigued by this product, as it was developed by an MD in a sleep lab over 5 years with OSA patients. If the press reports are true, this device has way outperformed other dental devices used for OSA. As I said earlier, I have severe OSA and use a CPAP every night, but I'd be willing to try the OSA version of the Zyppah if it's only a couple hundred bucks (I don't know how much the OSA model is, so I will have to do some more digging). I'm personally not affiliated in any way with the folks who market this device, by the way.....

We are not allowed to attach actual links here, but if anyone is interested there are several interesting articles on how the Zyppah is now used to treat OSA. Search on....
1. Not so silent killer sleep apnea
2. Zyppah oral appliance treats sleep apnea in 2 ways
3. Sleep Apnea Revealed (and then type Zyppah into the site search)

3WSKWA1: Hey, all, I'm not sure we should write this device off so fast.

There are a few members with a lot of time to post who are "locked in on CPAP" and determined not to look at anything else. They aggressively guard their CPAP territory.

The part of the Zyppah that holds the tongue down seems to be unique among lower jaw advancement devices. This could provide a synergy that is a game changer for oral appliances.

I would prefer to have the Zyppah fitted by a dentist.

---and effectiveness verified in a sleep lab for the individual--not some anonymous "test" subject.

Christine L wrote:

3WSKWA1: Hey, all, I'm not sure we should write this device off so fast.

There are a few members with a lot of time to post who are "locked in on CPAP" and determined not to look at anything else. They aggressively guard their CPAP territory.

The part of the Zyppah that holds the tongue down seems to be unique among lower jaw advancement devices. This could provide a synergy that is a game changer for oral appliances.

I would prefer to have the Zyppah fitted by a dentist.

Christine,

As one who has looked alot at dental options due to not being able to adjust to cpap treatment to date, I am definitely not locked in on CPAP. LOL as I have nothing to guard.

I don't see anything so far to indicate that this is a device for sleep apnea.

Anyway, back to guarding my empty territory

49er

PS - I am also suspicious of someone touting something who has never before posted on this forum.

Salesmen! Ugh!

Hi, all, I'm definitely not a salesman. I read the boards once in awhile, and usually do searches if I have a question about something, but I am not one to post often unless I really need input. And in this case I really just needed input.

To ChunkyFrog...... if you go to the 3 internet references included previously you will see this device is used for OSA only in a higher-powered, and more expensive version, and that's the only version I'm referring to (not the snoring version). The information given discusses tests conducted on a man with severe sleep apnea.

I did some further digging and called the number of the dentist who developed the Zyppah device.... a Dr. Greenburg, located in CA. I am in PA and so I asked if the OSA version could be fitted for me by a dentist in my area, and I was told that I'd have to come to one of their 5 CA offices only. So I think that's a dead-end, unless you live near there. I am not going to order the lower-level snoring device and expect it to address severe sleep apnea.

My apologies Janprend as I was referring to 3WSKWA1 who seemed overly enthusiastic about a device for someone who had never posted previously in the forum. Your initial post was fine as you were asking questions about a device.

49er

janprend wrote:Hi, all, I'm definitely not a salesman. I read the boards once in awhile, and usually do searches if I have a question about something, but I am not one to post often unless I really need input. And in this case I really just needed input.

To ChunkyFrog...... if you go to the 3 internet references included previously you will see this device is used for OSA only in a higher-powered, and more expensive version, and that's the only version I'm referring to (not the snoring version). The information given discusses tests conducted on a man with severe sleep apnea.

I did some further digging and called the number of the dentist who developed the Zyppah device.... a Dr. Greenburg, located in CA. I am in PA and so I asked if the OSA version could be fitted for me by a dentist in my area, and I was told that I'd have to come to one of their 5 CA offices only. So I think that's a dead-end, unless you live near there. I am not going to order the lower-level snoring device and expect it to address severe sleep apnea.