Treating Sleep Apnea & Snoring Without a CPAP Machine

Treating Sleep Apnea and Snoring wihout a CPAP can improve your relationship

Many patients come back to us, after using their sleep apnea device (mouthguard) for a few weeks, and tell us how well it works. Then their bed partner confirms -- not only does it stop his/her sleep apnea events, it also stops the snoring! The mechanism of sleep apnea and snoring are closely related. The same areas of your airway - your throat, soft palate (roof of your mouth), and your uvula (hangs down in the back of your throat) - all play a critical role in sleep apnea and snoring.

The other factor that most sleep apnea and snoring therapies overlook is the position of your teeth and lower jaw. As you drop into REM sleep, your muscles are essentially paralyzed. You can still breathe and your heart still pumps blood, but your arms, legs, and jaw muscles are no longer moving about. When this happens, your jaw joint slides back and puts more pressure on your airway. The result is your airway gets smaller, and you start to snore and have sleep apnea events.

Repositioning Your Jaw Can Treat Sleep Apnea and Snoring

Example of MAD alternative to CPAP machine somnomed

Here is an example of a Mandibular Repositioning Device (MRD). Simply put, this is a mouth guard made by your sleep apnea dentist that holds your bottom jaw forward while you sleep. If you look closely, you’ll see small wings (triangle shape) on this mouthguard. These wings keep your bottom jaw forward while you sleep. You can still talk, drink, and breath as you normally do, but when your jaw muscles relax and fall back, the wings go to work keeping your airways open and unobstructed.

Say Goodbye to Your CPAP and Your Snoring!

This forward motion opens up your airway and eases your breathing, and can even eliminate snoring. For those patients who do not have severe sleep apnea, are CPAP intolerant, are looking to cure their snoring (or their bed partners!), or just want an alternative treatment, the oral sleep apnea device is a great solution. We’ve had patients come to our office fed, up with their Respironics CPAP or tired of the nasal masks. They throw their CPAP on our counter and out of desperation, ask for an alternative sleep apnea device (dental).

Below, we’ve included a sleep apnea video that discusses the Somnodent^® device you see pictured above. It's a great introduction to treating your sleep apnea without using a CPAP.

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Treat Sleep Apnea & Snoring Without a CPAP Machine

Have Sleep Apnea questions? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Tsai
Or you can always email or call us: (650)-583-5880

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Dr. Sherry Tsai provides an alternative to CPAP machines to treat Sleep Apnea and Snoring in Millbrae, San Bruno, Burlingame, San Mateo, and the Bay Area