Sleep apnea is a very serious condition which must not be neglected or shaken off as yet another invention of the pharmaceutical companies to sell you stuff.
It is the condition that happens in sleep when the tissue in the airways blocks the passage of air and person therefore has moments when they stop breathing altogether. This condition may lead to serious problems, like daytime fatigue and overall tiredness that can affect one’s life very much. Also, the reduced intake of oxygen can have adverse effects on the brain. Therefore it is very important to find the ways to alleviate these effects and one of the most common ones is the sleep apnea mouthpiece.
The most common variation of the sleep apnea mouthpiece is the mandibular advancement appliance, a mouthpiece that works in such a way that it pushes forward the lower jaw and the tongue, thus straightening the soft tissue and preventing the blockage of the airways.
The other common type is the tongue retainer, a mouthpiece that holds the tongue ‘pinned down’ and oriented forwards, not allowing it to block the airways. The only problem with the tongue retainer is that a person needs some time to get used to it.
Of course, these devices, no matter how advanced they are, have their drawbacks. The most important one is the discomfort a person might feel when they begin using a sleep apnea mouthpiece. This is avoided by having the dentist make your own custom mouthpiece. If you buy one retail, be sure to put it in warm water before putting it in your mouth, at least first few times, just to soften it a bit.
Still, these mouthpieces might be of incredible help and you should seriously consider them if you suffer from sleep apnea.