Post RSS FeedSo you do an internet search for oral appliances to treat your sleep apnea or snoring and you find all kinds of inexpensive appliances. Perfect! Now you don’t have to spend a bunch of money getting a custom appliance at a trained dentist’s office. This is great! Or is it?
It can be tempting to try an inexpensive oral appliance. I mean why not? For less than a hundred bucks it seems pretty good.
But answer this… Would you buy a cheap device to treat your diabetes? Or your heart problem? Or your cancer? Of course not, these conditions can kill you! Well, what do you think sleep apnea does? It also kills people every day. It is not something to take lightly.
Did you know that even simple snoring can lead to stroke? (Read my previous blog).
Sleep apnea has been directly linked to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, increased automobile accidents, erectile dysfunction, and even cancer.
A study by Dr Vanderveken at the University of Antwerp showed that non-custom appliances are grossly inferior to custom appliances.
In a nutshell, the problems with non-custom appliances are:
- They don’t fit well so comfort and thus compliance is low.
- There is no ability to accurately adjust the appliance to find the ideal therapeutic position.
- There is no trained dentist to address the side effects that can occur with oral appliance therapy.
- There is no way to know if it is even doing what it is supposed to do.
Remember that when you have a custom oral appliance fabricated at a trained dentist, you are not just purchasing a piece of plastic. You are getting the knowledge and experience of the doctor to accurately evaluate your situation, fabricate a quality, well fitting appliance of the appropriate design, the follow-up to address any side effects or issues, and the means to determine if your apnea is being adequately addressed. You’re getting that relationship with an expert who will interact with you and your physician to give you the best chance to manage your sleep apnea.
There is a saying: “Don’t look for bargains on parachutes, fire extinguishers, and oral appliances!”
