Sleep apnea · oral appliance therapy
A quieter, CPAP-free option for the right sleeper
Custom-fit mandibular advancement appliances for mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea — coordinated with your physician or sleep specialist.
Who’s a good candidate?
- You’ve been diagnosed with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea on a sleep study.
- You’ve tried CPAP and couldn’t tolerate it — claustrophobia, dry mouth, mask leaks, or just couldn’t sleep with it.
- You snore loudly and disrupt your partner’s sleep, but haven’t been diagnosed yet (start with a sleep study).
- You travel often and want something easier to pack than a CPAP machine.
- You have a healthy bite and enough teeth to anchor the appliance (we check at the consultation).
How it works
During sleep, the muscles around your throat relax. For people with obstructive sleep apnea, that relaxation lets the airway collapse — you stop breathing for short stretches, your oxygen drops, and your brain wakes you up just enough to start breathing again. It happens dozens of times an hour without you remembering it.
A mandibular advancement appliance gently holds your lower jaw forward while you sleep. That forward position keeps the airway open, prevents the collapse, and lets you breathe normally through the night.
The process
- Sleep study + diagnosis — usually a take-home test, ordered by your physician or sleep specialist.
- Consultation — we review your study, check your bite, and confirm an oral appliance is appropriate.
- Impressions and fitting — custom appliance fabricated to your mouth, delivered 2–3 weeks later.
- Adjustment visits — we titrate the jaw advancement over the first month so the appliance is effective without overloading your jaw.
- Follow-up sleep study — confirms the appliance is doing its job before signing off.
Common questions
Frequently asked
- What is a dental sleep apnea appliance?
- A custom-fit mouthpiece that holds your lower jaw slightly forward while you sleep. That forward position keeps your airway open and prevents the soft tissue collapse that causes obstructive sleep apnea — the kind that produces snoring and breathing pauses at night.
- Is it a replacement for a CPAP?
- For mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea, an oral appliance is often a great alternative for patients who can’t tolerate CPAP. For severe sleep apnea, CPAP is still the gold standard. We work with your physician or sleep specialist to make sure the appliance is appropriate for your case.
- Do I need a sleep study first?
- Yes. A sleep study (done at home or in a sleep lab) diagnoses sleep apnea and rates its severity. We need that diagnosis before fitting an appliance — both for clinical safety and because most insurance plans require it for coverage.
- How do I get used to wearing it?
- Most patients adjust over the first 1–2 weeks. Some early soreness in the jaw or teeth is normal and usually settles down. We adjust the appliance at follow-up visits to fine-tune the fit and the amount of jaw advancement.
- Is it covered by medical or dental insurance?
- Most often it’s billed to medical insurance (not dental) because it’s treating a medical condition. We help you submit the paperwork and verify coverage before fabricating the appliance.
- How long does the appliance last?
- With proper care, custom appliances typically last 3–5 years. Cleaning daily and bringing it to your routine cleanings so we can check the fit will extend that lifespan.
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