Do Mandibular Devices Help To Prevent Snoring?

When we ourselves or our loved ones get sleep apnea and suffer from it, the only thing that works in our mind is to reduce it or cure it. If you have got suggestions from doctors about a mandibular advancement device (MAD), then you should give it a try. Sleep apnea can cause a person to snore while sleeping. Not only that this hinders the quality of the sleep leaving the person weak reducing energy levels, health, lifestyle, and work productivity.

A mandibular advancement device could be one solution to these problems. It works like a snoring aid and reduces the throat construction which happens during sleeping. This device is also known as a mandibular repositioning device (MRD). But choosing a right among many types of snoring aids is a difficult task. You will find several anti snoring devices in the market. It is also very important to do your research before even using an anti-snoring device. This article will help you to know more about Mandibular Devices in brief.

How does a MAD work?

A treatment method that may help in cases of sleep apnea is a mandibular repositioning device MAD. It moves the jaw and tongue forward for the time being, which in turn minimizes the tightening of the throat and helps you to get rid of sleep apnea and snoring. It’s no surprise that the forward movement of the tongue maximizes the airway space in use. Sleep apnea is a condition where your throat wall closes completely, and you suffer while breathing. A doctor might recommend you a MAD whenever you are going through a condition where you are having these symptoms:

• You feel tired during most of the day because of sleep apnea.
• The severity of the breathing obstruction while you are sleeping.
• Pauses in breath while sleeping which is highly noticeable.
• You are facing difficulty to remember things and focus on something.

MADs depend on the mouth of a specific individual. They might be custom or semi-custom. Boil-and-bite MADS, found over the counter (OTC), possess soft materials, providing them with profound flexibility when exposed to warm water. You can fix the device by biting down on the pliable mould.

A 2018 review done by honorable authors suggest that each kind of MAD is effective in its own way but there needs to be certain research to figure them out.

Although it must be kept in mind that for people wearing dentures or having fatal dental problems, MADs aren’t convenient at all.

Serving as an alternative treatment to the widely regarded CPAP machine for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the mandibular advancement device (MAD) works wonders in its own ways. A well-built, hefty, plastic device, it fits really well over the upper and lower teeth similar to a mouth guard having a hinge in the middle. A MAD smoothly pushes your lower jaw i.e. the mandible forward when you’re asleep. As your lower jaw is attached to the tongue behind the chin, the MAD pushes this tissue forward too. This results in the prevention of obstructing the airway and ultimately, OSA.

At times when a patient is regarded to be a ‘CPAP reject’, that is, when a patient fails to bear the CPAP machine, the mandibular advancement device (MAD) has proved to be a very proactive alternative over the years. It’s very common to witness CPAP rejects who’ve chosen a MAD to help treat their cases of obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine operates through pushing air through the airway of a body to keep it open throughout sleep time. Through tubing and a mask, which both can prove to be uncomfortable, the air is forced to the patient. Thus, in a handful of cases, patients are tempted to remove the mask and abruptly halt the procedure.

Benefits

Among the many advantages that the MAD can help you with, one of the key ones is that it minimizes snoring and sleep apnea to a huge extent.

In 2000, a report was conducted on the use of MADs on the lives of 22, over a period of 12 to 30 months. Everyone wished to continue their use of MADs after they witnessed a rapidly effective treatment of sleep apnea and snoring. Although there arose a bit of confusion as the sample size was small.

In accordance to a study conducted by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the following gain the most benefits from MADs:

• People having mild to moderate sleep apnea
• People young in age
• People having sleep apnea which gets better when they sleep on their side
• Women and girls
• People having a receding jaw formation, a condition known as having a retro gnathic mandible

On the other hand, the following are likely to see very low improvement while being treated with MADs:

• Aged adults
• Obese people having a lot of fat tissue around the neck region
• People having a stiff jaw structure
• People having dental issues, e.g. gum disease
• People suffering from central sleep apnea, which is a neurological condition

Snoring is a lifelong problem. The problem is not only faced by the one who snores but also the person who sleeps next to the snorer. A mandibular advancement device could be the next best step to help you and your partner. But remember to take a sleep test before purchasing an anti snoring device. Although you might feel some discomfort while using this device, if your physician suggests it and if you pass the test, a little discomfort is worth it. You will have issues initially but after a few days you will have a sound sleep that you always wanted to have