Oral Appliance Therapy

In cases of mild to moderate sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy represents an excellent option in care for those who qualify. By decreasing the frequency or duration of sleep apneas and the associated episodes of overly shallow and interrupted breathing, oral appliance therapy eases sleep time respiratory struggles for improved health, safety, and overall well-being.

Designed to maintain a patent airway.

What is Oral Appliance Therapy?

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is a treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea that involves wearing a custom fabricated oral appliance while sleeping.

Similar in fit and feel to a removable mouthguard, an oral appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea is fully customized for comfort and to meet the unique anatomic and functional needs of every patient. The custom oral appliance works by holding the bottom jaw in a forward position, minimizing collapse of the soft tissues of the throat and maintaining an open airway during sleep.

Calibrated for maximum effectiveness.

In addition to being custom-crafted for a precise and comfortable fit, every oral appliance is calibrated to maximum therapeutic effectiveness. Before returning to your physician for a new sleep study, we use overnight pulse oximetry to help determine your ideal jaw position, with the goal of minimizing back-and-forth visits between providers.

A custom solution to breathe easier & sleep better

At Dental Sleep Medicine of Northeast Florida, our sleep apnea appliance combines maximum effectiveness with comfort to help ensure a safer, more restful, and restorative night’s sleep. Beyond customizing the fabrication and calibration of every appliance, we perform periodic monitoring and recalibration to optimize the health benefits and maintain smile alignment and integrity. As with all treatments and therapies, it is important to understand that not everyone is a candidate for oral appliance therapy. Many factors go into determining candidacy for oral appliance therapy, which cannot be determined without an exam by a qualified dental provider.