Sleep apnea and mouth guards

[pacergal]

That sounds like it was a great solution for you!
DH has been wearing his mouthpiece for a bit and is getting ready to do an adjustment, as I have heard him snoring pretty loudly.
I am curious to see what his follow up sleep study will show.

 

[explanade]

I did a second at-home sleep study this month while using my oral device, and had a follow-up consultation with a nurse practitioner from the sleep clinic today.

The verdict: During my first study, my oxygen level dropped to 83% for a total of 40 minutes over the course of the night. With the oral device, I still have very mild apnea, but the second test showed my oxygen level was 88% at its lowest, and only for 0.3 of a minute. Ninety percent is what the clinic considers an acceptable oxygen level. I'm averaging 94%.

So the clinic pronounces my experiment with the $120 mouth device to be a success, and I don't require any additional treatment for sleep apnea.

Great news.

Does that site require you to have performed a home study or have some kind of prescription to order the device?

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Great news.

Does that site require you to have performed a home study or have some kind of prescription to order the device?

No. But when I talked with the doctor via Zoom he suggested I get a second sleep study after getting comfortable with the device to see if it was effective for me.

I should add that the doctor has an assistant who does fittings, so you might not get the doctor on the Zoom call if you order the device. The trial offer is contingent on having the fitting consultation (via Zoom in my case).

 

[cbo111]

No. But when I talked with the doctor via Zoom he suggested I get a second sleep study after getting comfortable with the device to see if it was effective for me.

I should add that the doctor has an assistant who does fittings, so you might not get the doctor on the Zoom call if you order the device. The trial offer is contingent on having the fitting consultation (via Zoom in my case).

Mr._Graybeard, I see it's been another month since your last report. Are you still satisfied with the sleepmd device? I am not a big snorer but often wake up feeing like I didn't get a good sleep and would like to try this. The price is definitely right, but my concern is getting TMJ or other mouth pains from using this device.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Mr._Graybeard, I see it's been another month since your last report. Are you still satisfied with the sleepmd device? I am not a big snorer but often wake up feeing like I didn't get a good sleep and would like to try this. The price is definitely right, but my concern is getting TMJ or other mouth pains from using this device.

I'm still reasonably satisfied. Last month I visited my sister and her family and learned my BiL is using a jaw fixture to address his sleep apnea, only he got his from a dentist for $2K. I looked at it and noticed that it uses the same basic method of jaw alignment as mine. His device looked like it would fit his teeth better than my device, which feels a little loose in my mouth.

BiL said his dentist prescribed some exercises to realign his lower jaw if he has trouble with TMJ. I got similar advice but never experienced a need for it. YMMV. The other effect I noticed was a dry mouth in the morning, which is very temporary.

 

[flyingaway]

My dentist suggested me to get a mouth guard many times. I bought a cheap one in a store and did not use it after a few times. Then the dentist had one made for me about 10 years ago. I remember it costed me $600 after insurance. Unfortunately, I did not use it very much and have not used it for many years.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I've got a little update. I grind my teeth at night (all my molars have crowns) and one morning I discovered that one of the pins on the upper part of my guard that locates the lower had broken overnight. I contact Dr. Hamburg, and he sent me a repair kit. Then, we conferred by Zoom on how to fix the damage. If the repair didn't work, he said he'd replace the upper. So far I haven't had to test that promise, because the repair is holding up well.

I'm very pleased with the service I've received.