Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard

If you suffer from sleep apnea, your health care provider must have recommended one of several dental appliances. They may have offered you some relief or worst of all, done nothing in your bid to enjoy your sleep. Truth is, sleep apnea solutions that come in the shape of dental appliances are not 100 % effective. But given the harsh reality that other alternatives are expensive and surgery is frightening, dental appliances are always worth a try. That’s why it’s always good to know a thing or two about the most common dental appliances used to get rid or rather suppress sleep apnea.

Common Devices

As already hinted, there are several types of dental sleep apnea solutions that your doctor may recommend. It all depends with your condition and how bad it is. There are, however, two devices that always stand out:

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine …(CPAP)
• Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)

CPAP

Unlike its name, the device is not that complicated. Some patients have had so much success with and capped it as one of the best sleep apnea solutions. It works by forcing air in and out of your lungs and preventing any interruption of breath. Sadly, it has its flaws just like other devices used for the same purpose. CPAP is:

• Costly
• Uncomfortable

Apart from these two flaws, there’s nothing really bad with CPAP. It doesn’t hurt a trifle to note that the discomfort associated with it is primarily because of the mask that has to be worn with the device. You can however get used to the mask within a couple of days.

MAD

It has a splint that works by keeping your tongue in a flat state. That way, it cannot obstruct how you breathe. The device also forces your lower jaw back and keeps the airwaves wide open. It’s very easy to use and get used to.

Which Device is Better?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to answer that. It all depends on the main cause of your sleep apnea. You doctor will have to find out more about the cause and choose a perfect solution between the two or other devices.

Other Remedies

There are of course, alternative remedies which seem to be more effective than conventional sleep apnea solutions. It should, however, be noted that for any solution out there, your doctor must first approve your choice. This is precisely because obstructive sleep apnea, which needless to say, is the most common form of sleep apnea, calls for different and less sophisticated natural sleep apnea solutions than its counterpart central sleep apnea. Surprisingly, the best obstructive sleep apnea solutions come in the form of divorcing some habits like:

• Smoking
• Heavy drinking
• Poor eating habits

The sleep apnea mouth guard is also another great remedy. It has come to the rescue of many patients, thanks to its availability in most stores and its affordability. It should however be noted that even for patients who consider the mouth guard as the ultimate solution, the doctor’s word is always final. In any case, there could be a more dangerous, underlying problem disguising itself as sleep apnea. The only way to know is to book that appointment with your doctor.

Conclusion

You don’t have to spend a lot on sleep apnea solutions. All you need is to stick to what your doctor tells you. Then quit any habit that encourages the condition. You never know, your love for the bottle could be the only link between you and your condition. Keep off the bottle or any habit that hinders sound sleep and you could just forget about sleep apnea remedies and solutions completely.