Best dental appliance for sleep apnea and grinding?

NTI device for grind: The key is to wear something that prevents your chewing muscles from being able to clench or bite down. A traditional full mouth guard helps to protect your teeth but can still allow clenching and grinding on the guard. An nti device fits on the front teeth, is small and when worn prevents the back teeth from coming together helping your jaw joint to rest. A skilled dentist can fit them for you.

It depends: I would recommend that you see a dentist who has been trained in sleep medicine. There are literally dozens of different sleep appliances out there. Each one is made for a unique situation. For example, some allow more freedom of movement for grinders, etc. An appropriately trained sleep medicine dentist would be able to evaluate you and determine which appliance would be best for you.

Individuality: There is no one "best" dental appliance for sleep apnea or grinding. I make different types of mouthpieces based upon my history and examination. Some patients just need a soft, thin mouthguard to wear at night, while others may need a hard acrylic one that they wear 24/7. Some come into my office with a handful of old appliances. Need to figure out what works and what did not.

Best device to date: Is a somnodent mas or a respire. Both appliances act to prevent the jaw from moving backward (collapsing) during sleep. But, the parts are not physically connected so the patient can move the jaw freely forward and to the side. In addition, because the working parts are on the side, the patient can lick their lips--very important to us apnea sufferers. An anterior component can minimize grinding.

No best appliance: There are over 70 different types of appliances for sleep apnea. The appliances are most effective for patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Seeing a dentist with significant experience and education in delivering these appliances can help the patient decide which appliance to use and improve the success rate. They can also help with the grinding.

One for both: Research has shown that a device that positions the lower jaw forward while sleeping as is used for snoring and sleep apnea, also reduces sleep bruxism episodes. This is the only type of oral device that will actually reduce the number of bruxism events. Other dvices for bruxsim will protect the teeth and in some instances, decrease the intensity of the muscle contractions seen in bruxism.