Experienced Dental Device Users Please help

SleepyTexan01 · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 69 Location: TX

Can a dental device make your sleep worse? My dental device (SomnoGuard AP)prevents me from closing my mouth and makes me more prone to opening my mouth during sleep. I'm sure I snore more since I have a big soft palate. I have no discomfort with my jaw moving forward at all.

Questions:
1. What strategies do you use to find the optimum distance on an adjustable dental device?
(keep in mind I am not under the care of a dentist)

2. Can a dental device make your sleep worse if it prevents you from closing your mouth?

3. If yes, what can I do to help seal my mouth?

Y'all (as we say in Texas) are always so helpful so I will thank Y'all in advance.

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

Unfortunately without a recording pulse oximeter its a challenge to figure out what is enough of an advancement.
You can go by how you feel the next day, having a good amount of dreams at night (i.e. reaching the REM sleep level), and having someone tell you if you are snoring or gasping.

I was wondering about maybe using a voice activated recorder of some sort if you don't have someone handy to tell you if you are snoring. ( or if they sleep too soundly).

My wife is an extremely light sleeper so thats covered for me, and I bought a used Nellcor N-395 on Ebay for pulse ox.

The bulk is an issue for some people with the Somnoguard AP, and I would think mouth breathing certainly doesn't help. Maybe use a light duty chin strap to hold your mouth shut?

Most likely its insufficient advancement or (hopefully not) its some other mechanism causing the apnea that pulling the tongue and jaw forward might not help.

and remember.... I am NOT a doctor!

SleepyTexan01 · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 69 Location: TX

Thanks for the helpful comments.
Do you know where I can buy an voice activated recorder?

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

sleep talker · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 1543 Location: MN

ladyhawwke · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1

[quote="SleepyTexan01"]Can a dental device make your sleep worse? My dental device (SomnoGuard AP)prevents me from closing my mouth and makes me more prone to opening my mouth during sleep. I'm sure I snore more since I have a big soft palate. I have no discomfort with my jaw moving forward at all.

Questions:
1. What strategies do you use to find the optimum distance on an adjustable dental device?
(keep in mind I am not under the care of a dentist)

2. Can a dental device make your sleep worse if it prevents you from closing your mouth?

3. If yes, what can I do to help seal my mouth?

Hi, I just joined the talkaboutsleep board. I have been diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea and did not want the Cpap. I tried the Silent Nite dental device and it also made my mouth extremely dry. There is no solution to the dry mouth because the device forces your jaw forward and your mouth stays open. I would have put up with the dry mouth except the device hurt my 4 front teeth and it could not be adjusted. The dentist finally gave me my money back which is unusual.

I'm now trying a cpap but am having problems and find I can't sleep with it. Mine, however makes no noise whatsoever. I'm going to try again tonight. There must be another way!!