Dentist Mouthpieces

Does a mouthpiece from the dentist prevent sleep apnea or just snoring?

I can't remember anyone saying that the dental appliance cured their SA

What does the dentist say?
Can you get it in WRITING?
If so, put it in a safe place--just in case . . .

I was looking at them as well. They have a ResMed Narval cc which is suppose to reduce AHI by 50% I have no clue how much it costs, I dont think my insurance would cover. it regardless but I think I would do that before the CPAP. But not alot of people seem to use a mandibular repositioning device so I assume they dont work too well.

I used one, a mandibular advancement device, for a few weeks before CPAP, since it took a while to get my titration and machine after diagnosis. And I used one during the first year of CPAP (in conjunction with CPAP, not as a substitute for CPAP) to train myself to sleep with my mouth shut so that nasal pillows could be an option for me.

The various forms of PAP therapy are the gold standard against which every other approach is compared. Compared to PAP, most other approaches, including what you call "dentist mouthpieces," roughly help about 50% of patients reduce AHI by roughly 50%. The problems with most such approaches are that (1) there is no way of knowing ahead of time who may be helped, (2) there is no way of verifying who is being helped during the use of the approach, (3) in the long run those approaches tend to be more expensive and more problematic than PAP, and (4) too many people (patients and docs) use them as an excuse for not giving the gold-standard approach the full shot.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the fact that there are alternatives to PAP. Those who cannot or will not use PAP for whatever reason sometimes get great benefit from alternatives. If someone has a very low AHI to start with and cutting that AHI in half helps them in some ways, GREAT! It is better than nothing, for sure, if they happen to be in the 50% of those who get some benefit--not the same amount of benefit that PAP would give them, but SOME benefit. However, those who put down PAP, or suggest that the alternatives should be tried FIRST before giving the best approach the full shot, do a great disservice to others, in my opinion. Most who put down PAP do so just to get people to try something they are offering strictly for their own personal financial gain. I personally consider that to be contemptible dishonest greed of the worst sort. Make it clear that your product isn't as good as PAP and that PAP should be given the full shot first. In other words, make sure you make clear your alternative to PAP is just that--an alternative that is in no way equal to PAP for the patients who use either approach.

Let this board help you make PAP work for you, comfortably and enjoyably. If you, or we, fail at that, THEN is the time to try second-best, third-best, fourth-best options, etc.

Thanks for all the different replies. Something to think about and consider.

My Sleep Dr did tell me percentages but AHI number decreases. So dental appliances and the surgery both only reduced them by 5 per hour so wasn't even anywhere near going to help me with my 43.