Doctors Answers (6)
There is a possibility that he may be a candidate for an oral appliance. This will depend on his dentition and jaw joint health. If he has had a sleep study done, an evaluation by a dentist trained in making anti-snoring/sleep apnea oral appliances may be warranted.
Snoring is the "red flag" for sleep apnea. There are degrees of severity for Apnea and treatment options change with severity. So yes, can treat snoring but most importantly you need to assess whether there is apnea and the severity. I would recommend an evaluation with a sleep physician.
Snoring may be just a "cosmetic" problem but could also be a sign of an underlying sleep apnea. Treatment will depend on the presence of sleep apnea and sleep testing may be needed. Talk to your doctor or better get a consultation from a sleep specialist to discuss all the options (go to the appointment together if possible to address all of your concerns). Treatment options may include CPAP machine, oral appliance (device custom made by a dentist), ear nose and throat surgical intervention.
Under the right conditions he may benefit from an oral sleep appliance to help open his airway and reduce the vibration of the soft tissues that are causing the snoring sounds. An evaluation should be performed to see if he is an candidate for this procedure.
There are many options available for treating snoring. Firstly, he should be tested to determine if the snoring is a symptom of a more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea. Once he has been evaluated, he and the sleep disorder specialist can determine treatment. The treatment considerations could be oral appliance therapy, surgical correction of upper airway abnormalities, or CPAP.
I would have your husband evaluated for possible Mandibular Advancement Device by a dentist trained in Dental Sleep Medicine. This will reposition his lower jaw forward hold tongue out of airway and also tone the muscles around the pharynx hopefully decreasing the vibration of the tissues and hope decrease the air going in and out from vibrating, hopefully decreasing or eliminating his snoring. Can never guarantee that snoring can be completely eliminated with any type of treatment, but it should reduce. If he has not had a sleep study done in a sleep lab, I would recommend he have one done ASAP. If he has sleep apnea, he is playing with a very severe and dangerous medical condition that could lead to future stroke or heart attack if not addressed.
