
23 Jan CPAP Alternative Devices to Treat Sleep Apnea: Why Oral Appliance Therapy Works
Many sleep apnea patients are CPAP intolerant or want to try another treatment option before CPAP. After all, CPAPs cause many ill effects, like chronic dry mouth, hair loss, sinus issues, and excess air in the abdomen. They’re also cumbersome, which can make finding a comfortable sleeping position rather exhausting.
At TMJ & Sleep Solutions of Alabama, we specialize in oral appliance therapy, a sleep apnea treatment that incorporates CPAP-alternative devices. Keep reading to learn more about the types of CPAP alternative devices, including those we offer for oral appliance therapy!
Four CPAP Alternative Devices for Sleep Apnea
Today we’ll discuss these four main CPAP alternative devices::
- Oral Appliance Therapy (OATs)
- Tongue-retaining appliances (TRDs)
- Rapid maxillary expansion (RMEs)
- Tongue muscle stimulation devices
Although TMJ & Sleep Solutions of Alabama only offers some of these devices, our expertise in dental sleep medicine allows us to provide insight into the essential features of all four.
#1: Tongue Muscle Stimulation Devices
Airway obstruction due to mid-slumber tongue positioning is one common cause of sleep apnea, and wearing a tongue muscle stimulation device during the day will help prevent it.
The tongue is a muscle, and if its lack of strength causes it to fall back into your airway, it needs some strength training. As the name implies, tongue muscle stimulation devices send electric pulses to the tongue to stimulate it, reminding it to keep a forward position in the jaw, away from the back of the oral cavity and throat.
Wear the device once a day while you’re awake, starting with half an hour (or less), and gradually increase the duration as you grow more comfortable with it. Over time, with this conditioning, you should notice your tongue strengthening and form a habit of staying in the correct position without the device, even while sleeping.
#2: Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME)
This type of CPAP alternative device for sleep apnea is mainly for children and some young adults because it involves the hard palate (the bony plate in the roof of the mouth). During childhood, the hard palate is malleable, and if it is too small, it can be widened using a Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) device, also known as an expander.
The expander covers the roof of the mouth, secured by attachments on the device that wrap around and between the back teeth on the top jaw. The base of the expander is also screwed directly into the hard palate. Patients have a small tool that fits into the expander, and they use it like a key to turn it at least twice daily. With each turn of the key, the device gradually pulls the halves of the hard palate away from each other, expanding the upper jaw.
RME is a solution for children with sleep apnea due to a lack of space in their upper mandible (jaw) or bite problems often caused by thumbsucking or pacifiers. We are not pediatric practitioners nor orthodontists (we’re an experienced dental sleep medicine practice led by board-certified dentist Dr. Amy Hartsfield, DMD), so we do not offer this CPAP alternative device at our office.
#3: Tongue Retaining Appliances
A tongue-retaining appliance (TRA) is a type of CPAP alternative device that approaches the same cause of sleep apnea as tongue muscle stimulation devices for the same goal: preventing the tongue from falling back into the throat and physically blocking the airway.
The difference between TRAs and tongue muscle stimulation devices is that instead of training the tongue to hold a better mid-sleep posture, TRAs manually hold the tongue in a forward position. For obvious reasons, forcing your tongue to stay in one spot with a piece of plastic is uncomfortable, so we do not offer them at our office.
#4: Dental Sleep Therapy
Dental Sleep Therapy is a form of oral appliance therapy that is actually worm during sleep on the bottom jaw (the mandible) each night, bringing it forward a bit. This forward positioning encourages the back of the airway to open.
Our dental sleep therapy practice not only diagnoses sleep apnea, but we also we create the devices themselves which are minimally invasive and drastically effective on sleep apnea. Still, we’re glad there are more options for CPAP alternative devices.
Get Started with Dental Sleep Therapy
Don’t lose hope or give up on sleep apnea treatment if CPAPs don’t work for you. With our oral appliance dental sleep therapy treatment options, we can help you get the restorative, fulfilling sleep you need every night.
At TMJ & Sleep Solutions of Alabama, our mission is to provide personalized care to restore quality of life, one patient at a time. If you are experiencing sleep issues, don’t hesitate to contact us today and book an appointment!
Learn more about sleep apnea, the restorative power of dental sleep medicine, and oral appliance therapy on our blog.