What are the different types of oral appliances for sleep apnea?

Video Overview

Hello, I am Doctor Mark Abramson. I am a dentist who practices in both Redwood City and Monterey California. With my practice limited to treating the special needs of patients with TMJ, oral facial pain and sleep apnea. I am board certified by the American Academy of Oral Facial Pain, the American Academy of Pain Management and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. I have been practicing for 35 years. What are the different types of oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea? The first thing we should understand is that there is one commonality in all the devices in the market. They use the lower jaw and bring it forward, holding it forward which underneath the chin are strong muscles that go back to the tongue , therefore bringing the jaw forward pulls the tongue forward and opens the space behind the tongue that is the space that gets blocked off when somebody has sleep apnea. So there are different types of oral appliances that have different connectors for the upper and lower jaw so here’s an appliance that has segment acrylic, that’s molded to fit the upper jaw and acrylic is molded to fit the lower jaw and this snap in and the connector is a bar on the side that holds the jaw forward. In this particular appliance, allows some movement and there is an adjustment that you can turn to make the jaw come further forward. There are appliances that have wings that come up, they do the same thing and an appliance that has a hook in the front that you can turn and adjust the jaw further forward. I am proud to have created the oasis oral nasal airway system which is the only appliance in the market.