Mouthpiece For Snoring

There are several different types of mouthpiece for snoring. This guide should give you an idea of the way they work and if they are right for you.

All though there are many brands, every mouthpiece for snoring uses the same basic idea to stop your snoring. For many snorers the sound is generated when the snorer’s tongue falls to the back of the throat, obstructing or narrowing the airway causing the snoring sound. The classic example is when someone falls asleep in a sitting position and their head falls back. With the help of gravity the tongue falls to the back of the throat and presto, you have instant snoring, even in someone who doesn’t normally snore. The purpose of wearing the mouthpiece is to stop the tongue falling to the back of the throat.

There are two basic types of solution. The manibular advancement device (MAD) which has been around for several years and the newer tongue stabilization device (TSD) that was invented more recently.

There are several brands of manibular advancement device. They are simply a fitted piece of plastic that is molded around the teeth, similar in look to a sports mouth guard. There are slight variations but each device is designed to keep the lower jaw (mandible) forward. This in turn stops the tongue falling back. You can try this for yourself. Try pushing your lower jaw forward and dropping your tongue to the back of your throat the same time. You’ll find it is difficult. This is how the device works. The manibular advancement device can either be fitted by a dentist. These are the most elaborate of the devices. There are versions you can buy that you fit at home. You put the thermoplastic device in boiling water and then mold it around your teeth. Often the manufacturers give you two for the price of one as they are quite easy to destroy when soft. A study between the two types of MAD conducted in 2007 found that the success rate of a fitted device is nearly twice as high as that of a home fitted device (60% Vs 31%). This is partly explained in the fact the the fitted device tends to have a higher compliance with the snorer ejecting it during the night less often that the home fitted option.

The tongue stabilization device (TSD) as the name suggests works on the same principle of stopping the tongue from falling to the back of the throat but in a more direct manor. The device is made of a surgically soft plastic that is attached to the end of the tongue by light suction. (Sounds more harsh than the reality.) The device then has a piece that sits outside the mouth to stop the tongue falling back.

Both devices take some time to adjust to. In the beginning snorers often wake and find the mouthpiece for snoring is no longer still in their mouth. With the TSD, if too much suction is applied then the irritation to the tongue causes the wearer to spit it out while asleep. Having something in the mouth can cause extra saliva production and a dry mouth. With the MAD some wearers have reported a soreness associated with the Jaw being kept forward. Many of these problems are overcome with persistance and on the up side snorers who have had success with the device report reduced snoring and better sleep.

If your snoring is originating at the back of the throat these snoring devices could be of some help but on the other hand if your snoring sound is not originating from the back of the throat it is unlikely they will be of help.

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