A mandibular splint or mandibular advancement jaw splint (MAS) is an anti snoring device that can be worn in the mouth to deal with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring. The main purpose of these devices is to allow for proper oxygen inflow and enhance mouth breathing during night and eliminate any breathing issues while sleeping.
These devices are also known as “mandibular advancement devices,” “sleep apnea oral appliances,” and “sleep apnea mouth guards.”
The mechanisms by which they treat snoring and sleep apnea is by moving the lower jaw forward a little bit, which firms up the gentle delicate tissue and muscles of the upper airway to avoid obstruction of the airway while a person is asleep. This additionally helps prevent the tissues of the upper airway from vibrating as air passes over them and eliminates loud snoring as this vibration causes snoring in a lot of cases.
The following is the result of the research done on these devices to estimate whether they can be successful alternatives for CPAP therapy and what are their advantages and disadvantages, which products among these are better than others and should people having comfort problems with CPAP machines and masks switch out to these new oral appliances for treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
Are Mandibular advancement splints mouthpieces (snoring jaw straps and mouthguards) good alternative to CPAP therapy?
In cases of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea these devices are regarded as an effective therapy choice as they are non-invasive, convenient, noiseless, and typically received well by the patient. Lots of research is going on in improving the appliance design for providing better comfort and less hassle and even making free jaw movement (i.e., yawning, speaking, and drinking) possible, and enabling the user to breathe through the mouth
Reviewing these solutions, robust scientific studies displaying their efficiency have been underpinned by raising awareness in the medical community of the significance of upper airway anatomy and how crucial a role these jaw devices can play.
Benefits
These snoring mouthpieces and mouthguards have shown improvements in polysomnographic indexes of OSA, subjective and objective measures of sleepiness, hypertension, aspects of neuropsychological functioning, and overall levels of quality of life.
A study of the effects of oral devices on blood pressure conducted by the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Department of Nephrology, St. George Hospital, and the University of New South Wales Australia discovered that oral devices were just as powerful and effective as CPAP in reducing the blood pressure of people struggling with OSA.
Studies also show that design of the device is more crucial than ever.
The design of an outstanding “snoring mouthpiece” or mandibular advancement device can bring about positive energy and a better outlook when you wake up each morning, rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. The continual circulation of oxygen that the person suffering from snoring and breathing difficulties gets from the stop snoring mouthpiece will also help to eradicate night snoring and day time headaches.
Regular usage can dramatically improve health conditions as the patient gets a comfortable, sound sleep. Other health benefits that are associated with the utilization of these mouthpieces incorporate a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, all thanks to a wholesome, healthy good night’s rest.
Disadvantages
1). Mandibular advancement devices (anti snoring products) can also be fairly uncomfortable, although a lot of patients feel they are less irritating and troublesome than CPAP mask treatment. Badly fixed devices may cause teeth to shift over time, resulting in considerable dental issues. Typical oral examinations and alterations in the oral device can protect against these issues. Early morning jaw exercises can help to eliminate pain and jaw dislocation, assisting people to retain a normal bite pattern.
That’s why it’s important to opt for those anti snoring products which have a design that focuses on “user comfort”. Read below to find out the recommended products.
2). As a result of growing interest in these mandibular advancement splints, a lot of cheap imitating products have been rushed into the market by shady companies which are not comfortable to the user due to their cheap quality of design and material.
In fact several studies demonstrate that even among MADs, there are a big number of products that are not as comfortable to the user as they were expected to be.
Recommended mouthpieces
Good Morning Snoring Solution
Snore RX
Why are these 2 products recommended?
As the majority of of these mouthpieces work usually in the same, it might be a challenging task to determine which will be the best fit for you from the variety of diverse stop snoring mouthpieces to select from. Some of the common questions that aid in the selection process include, “Which mouthpiece is better, one purchased over the counter, or one from my dentist?” and “Which products will provide me a good night sleep as well as a solution to eliminate snoring?” etc. Below is a detailed explanation on which these choices have been made.
Jaw Holding Vs. Tongue Holding
There are two very general categories that most anti-snoring mouthpieces fall into; jaw holding mouthpieces, and tongue holding mouthpieces. While both types of mouthpieces are effective, tongue holding anti-snoring mouthpieces have proven to be more effective for several reasons, but are harder to find than the jaw holding variety of stop snoring mouthpieces. While the two of these anti-snoring mouthpieces deliver good results, they both have very different ways of alleviating the problem.
Jaw Retaining (Jaw Holding) – Also referred to as “mandibular advancement devices/splints”- these mouthpieces stop snoring by holding the jaw in place to alleviate the vibration of the tissues that cause snoring. These stop snoring mouthpieces are designed to fit in the mouth similar to a sports gear mouth guard. The problems with these kinds of “lower jaw advancement devices” include soreness for the wearer, possible gag reflex and choking risks if the mouthpiece slips, and increased saliva production, which can lead to choking and inability to get a refreshing sleep.
Better designs have led to 2 new generation snoring products – tongue retaining mouthpieces and adjustable jaw straps (mouthguards). These new advancement appliances work better and are more acceptable to the people.
Tongue Retaining (Tongue Holding) – The tongue retaining anti-snoring mouthpiece design was built to act as a second generation to the jaw retaining variety. Designers attempted to solve just about all of the issues with the jaw retaining mouthpiece when they developed the tongue retaining stop snoring mouthpiece. They are more comfortable, solve snoring issues via a comprehensive method eradicating their snoring caused by jaw, tongue or an open mouth at the same time. Your tongue is also a big factor in you loud snoring, afterall it’s the biggest thing in your mouth.
The fit of the tongue holding mouthpiece is significantly more more advanced than that of the jaw holding variety, and is an improved product.. Unlike the jaw retaining mouthpiece, these mouthpieces can help if your tongue, jaw, or mouth structures lead you to snore loudly. Also, positioning the tongue the way these do can really open up your airway.
Learn more about these different kinds of mandibular repositioning devices (Tongue Retaining mouthpieces) here – http://bit.ly/ILxqyd
Adjustable jaw retaining mouthpieces (sleep apnea dental appliance) – The comfort complaints about jaw retaining MADs and snoring products encouraged the scientists to structure out a new series of products and solutions whose design and style could be fine-tuned by the user itself for optimum ease and comfort. The best option to look into these kinds of sleep apnea products is the SnoreRx Adjustable snoring mouthpiece.
Their product is Medicare Certified for snoring. It is similar to other jaw retaining products, but it comes with a state-of-the-art “calibrator” to micro-adjust the guard. This enables the product to be a customized personalized fit, and this level of customization is possible with majority of products. It does not call for screws or hardware, but still could be fine-tuned. This is undoubtedly much better choice than cheap MASD products that can’t give you comfortable sleep and reassurance.
Some other reasons of recommending the above products
As far as Good Morning Snore Solution, no other anti-snoring mouthpiece works on both pushing forward your bottom jaw AND holding your tongue out of the way to deliver maximal possible clear airway passage. A tongue retaining anti snoring product will hold your tongue in position correctly and keep it from hanging back towards your throat. However, the jaw retaining mouthpiece cannot do this. Similarly a nasal product can’t help with this either. This makes it a very effective way of treating sleep apnea without CPAP machines and masks.
Comfort levels with both these products is better than other devices prevalent for oral appliance therapy to treat snoring issues such as Tomed SomnoGuard SP Soft, Tomed SomnoGuard AP, Tomed SomnoGuard & SomnoGuard 3, Somnowell, Somni Snore Guard etc. and a good night sleep is also as crucial as eliminating snoring, thereby making the “comfort issue” a big one.
These mouthpieces are constructed of ultra quality material, BPA free, ultra soft and comfortable.
Both products are THOROUGHLY tested and approved as being highly effective.
People using a sleep apnea chin straps or CPAP chin straps also find these devices more useful.
Inexpensive options for people suffering from mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Some other mandibular advancement devices cost upwards of $2000.
They are approved by the FDA and accredited by the BBB.
If you’ve got the practice of getting to sleep with your mouth open then this kind of mouthpiece is going to help you. It will help you by upholding your mouth in the correct position.
SnoreRx Adjustable snoring mouthpiece. This mouth guard is Medicare Certified for loud snoring and it comes with a state-of-the-art calibrator to micro-adjust the guard.
Several clinical trials have demonstrated these products have helped in snoring relief and helped more people quit snoring. People always feeling tired or sleepy during daytime should seriously consider trying these options.
Resources
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091700967.html
http://pediatrics.med.nyu.edu/conditions-we-treat/conditions/snoring
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/psjournal/archive/archives/jour_v19no2/newtreatment.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8769497
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/crg-survey-reveals-snoring-mouthpiece-143000461.html
http://www.brightfuturesforfamilies.org/996/best-anti-snoring-mouthpiece-reviews/
Anti snoring Devices reviews - Best jaw supporter, MADs, tongue retaining devices 