Snore guard


Appliance Manufacturers: Various over-the-counter appliances.

Advantages

  • Least expensive
  • Can perform at home.

Disadvantages

  • Appliances can be large
  • Not enough retention to stay in mouth all night
  • Can cause movement of teeth
  • Often associated jaw pain

Tongue Stabilizing Device


Appliance Manufacturers: Aveo

Advantages

  • Doesn’t require sound teeth, healthy gums, or having a “TMJ” problem
  • Easy to use

Disadvantages

  • One of the least tolerated appliance
  • Tongue Pain
  • Tongue swelling
  • Not effective in moderate and severe apnea
  • Not a good choice for mouth breathers

NAPA


Appliance Manufacturers: Great Lakes.

Advantages

  • Effective in snoring and obstructive apnea
  • No mechanics to break or learn how to adjust

Disadvantages

  • Appliance has to remanufactured if it is not in the proper position
  • Has to fit fairly tight on the teeth causing tooth movement and tooth pain

TAP (Hook)


Appliance Manufacturers: TAP

Advantages

  • Medicare approved
  • Effective in snoring and obstructive apnea
  • Jaw advancement mechanism is adjusted easily

Disadvantages

  • TAP hooks encroach on tongue space and may irritate tongue.
  • Cannot open mouth
  • Must be tight on teeth causing tooth pain and tooth movement
  • Material and mechanical parts can break or wear out easily

Herbst (Bar)


Appliance Manufacturers: ProSomnus and  SomnoMed

Advantages

  • Medicare approved
  • Effective in snoring and obstructive apnea.
  • Allows for slight adjustment at a time
  • Allows for lateral jaw movement and opening of the mouth to some degree
  • Durable
  • Comes with a manufacturer’s warranty.

Disadvantages

  • Despite the ability to allow some opening, it has to fit tightly on the teeth
  • It can be more difficult to adjust than the TAP or some dorsal appliances
  • It needs to be put in the mouth as one piece
  • The side bars can be irritating to some patients.

Strap


Appliance Manufacturers: Myerson and SomnoMed

Advantages

  • Effective in snoring and obstructive apnea
  • Easily adjusted by changing the straps
  • SomnoDent Avant allows for lateral jaw movement
  • Durable
  • Comes with a manufacturer’s warranty

Disadvantages

  • Limited to no jaw opening movement
  • Tighter on the teeth like the TAP appliance
  • The EMA appliance is prone to fracture and wear
  • The Avant can cause upper lip irritation due to the strap connector

Dorsal (Fin/Wing)

Appliance Manufacturers: ProSomnus EVO and SomnoMed

Advantages

  • Allows for the patient to open their mouth to yawn, sip water, and some talking
  • ProSomnus is easily adjusted
  • Durable
  • Comes with a manufacturer’s warranty

Disadvantages

  • Some devices have a screw mechanism that can be difficult to adjust