The use of oral appliances in the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a relatively recent development in sleep medicine that is showing excellent promise as an effective alternative to CPAP in many cases.
Many different forms of oral appliances exist, with varying levels of effectiveness, but they all share a common purpose. They all seek to prevent the jaw from falling to a posterior (backward) position during sleep, reducing or even eliminating the airway obstruction that causes sleep apnea.
Oral appliances have proven to be far more tolerable and well received by OSA sufferers than CPAP. An abundance of objective, scientific evidence continues to mount that oral appliance therapy produces effective treatment of OSA in about 85% of mild to moderate OSA sufferers. Oral appliances also provide significant benefit in severe OSA patients, but the effectiveness drops off verses CPAP with increasingly severe cases.
Dr. Osborne has been a leader in the Canton area becoming educated on the groundbreaking treatment options that can be provided by the dental profession. Our office uses the most effective oral appliance available today; the Somnodent appliance, by Somnomed.
Please browse the link to Somnomed.com for over twenty research articles outlining the proven effectiveness of oral appliance therapy in the treatment of OSA, and to see more information on the Somnodent appliance.
