ENT specialists (or otolaryngologists, as they are known to those who can spell) are not the only ones to treat snoring.  Your dentist can help too, and may suggest a special type of mouthpiece. (But read this whole article before rushing to your dentist for a device that may cost you hundreds of dollars!)

Mouthpiece devices -- also known as dental appliances, or mandibular advancement splints -- have been effective for many snorers, including those suffering from mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnea. They are usually small plastic devices worn in the mouth during sleep to prevent the soft throat tissues from collapsing and obstructing the airway. They do this by bringing your lower jaw forward and/or by lifting your soft palate.  Some devices also stop the tongue from falling back over your windpipe.

Your dentist will usually be the one to fit these special appliances to meet your individual condition.  Typically they will take a mold of your mouth and then either send off for a custom mouthpiece or fashion it themselves. 

You can find a dentist who specializes in sleep dentistry at the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine website.    But before you go for a multi-hundred dollar solution, try a less expensive device that you can order over the Internet and fit yourself.  Such devices are sometimes called "boil and bite;" they are made of soft plastic which you soften by placing in hot water; you then bite into the mouthpiece, molding it to your jaw. If you find such a device improves your snoring, you could then go for a more expensive dentist-fitted solution (but read about the Sleep Pro System, one of the sponsors of this web site, which also includes a custom-manufactured solution using a mould you make yourself).

The FDA seems to have colluded with dentists in making mouthpieces a prescription item -- so you'll either have to order from a non-US website or talk your dentist into writing you a prescription for a cheaper device.   You can also buy athletic mouthguards without a prescription -- for example, the Brain Pad -- which have been used successfully by some of our readers.

Do mouthpieces work? A recent study in Switzerland found oral appliances effective in treating sleep apnea.  Side effects were only "mildly disturbing": mucosal dryness (86% of patients), tooth discomfort (59%), and excessive salivation (55%). 

A similar study in the UK of 25 heavy snorers found that use of  "mandibular advancement appliances," i.e., mouthpieces, was effective in reducing snoring loudness for 84 per cent of the subjects while 76 per cent said they were snoring on fewer nights per week.

Will mouthpieces mess up your beautiful smile? 

Probably not.  Researchers in Sweden found few problems in patients, especially those using soft plastic mouthpieces. However, a study of 630 people who were fitted with mandibular advancement devices found that nearly one-quarter of the people abandoned it.  The author commented that some participants may have experienced side effects such as excess salivation, shifting of teeth positions or other tooth and mouth problems.  So you should certainly check back with your dentist after sleeping with a mouthpiece for a few months.

Product List

	AveoTSD "tongue stabilizing device" is made from a soft silicone and works by holding the tongue forward during sleep, keeping the airways open.
	MDSA Dental Oral Appliance, a mandibular advancement device from Australia, now approved for marketing in the U.S. (through dentists only)
	Nose Breathe Mouthpiece for Heavy Snorer, a custom-made device that helps you breathe through your nose
	The Noiselezz Mouthpiece, a plastic device from Denmark that holds your jaw forward and can be molded to fit your mouth. North American distributors: - Therapy Control Products
	Oasys Oral/Nasal System, a mandibular repositioner for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea and -------- as a nasal dilator for improved ease of breathing.
	Pro Snore Control Appliance is a custom-made mouthpiece created from an impression of your lower teeth you make at home
	PM Positioner, a plastic mouthpiece from Boos Dental Lab, obtainable through dentists
	The Silencer, a custom-made device that fits on your upper and lower teeth, holding your jaw forward.
	The Silensor, a British device also custom-made by your dentist
	Silent Partner ASD, which positions your lower jaw slightly forward
	The Sleep Pro jaw advancer, a British product available in two models.
	SnorBan US, a low-cost mouth guard that you can fit yourself. -SnorBan UK,  distributor for non-US countries -Snorban for Scandinavians with a "snarkproblem"
	Snore Guard, a "boil and bite" brand available through dentists only - Sleepzine article on Snore Guard
	SnoreFree2, an "anti-snoring jaw brace"
	SnoreKil, a two-piece mouth device, allowing separate fitting of upper and lower jaw.
	SnoreMate, a South African brand of mouth device
	Snor-X.  Unlike other appliances that protrude the mandible forward, the Snor-X appliance gently holds the tongue forward, opening the upper airway.
	SomnoGuard, a new device available in Germany and Central Europe, building on several years of clinical research into SnorBan.  North American distributor: - Therapy Control Products
	TheraSnore, which prevents the tongue and mandible (lower jaw) from falling back and blocking your airway; available from: - Distar in the US - No. 1 Health Supplies in Europe
	Universal Thornton Adjustable Positioner, available from: - Airway Management in the US

Read and write reviews on these mouthpieces