Sleep apnea mouthguards, do they really work ?

Depends on device: Oral devices (that pull the lower jaw out so the lower teeth protrude beyond the upper teeth during sleep) may work for mild to moderate sleep apnea but not for severe sleep apnea. These are custom-made devices and rather expensive. The devices you can get over the counter or the boil and bite devices many dentists might make are really not shown to help much.

Adequate airway: It depends on the level of sleep apnea diagnosed. Since 2006, the american academy of sleep medicine parameters for treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea is titrated oral appliances. In severe level sleep apnea, CPAP devise is indicated. Overall compliance success is about 80 percent compared to CPAP at around 40 percent. Find a dentist who is aadsm member or certified.

Varies: Mild to moderate sleep apnea (less than 30 events per hour) seem to respond the best to oral appliance therapy, but I have treated many severe apnics that cannot tolerate a CPAP with great success. Literature is showing more and more success with higher compliance of oral devices. They must be custom fitted and adjustable for best results.

YES and NO: Oral appliances for sleep apnea are very excellent devices for snoring and mild sleep apnea. Moderate or severe sa should really be dealt with by the "gold standard" which is the CPAP machine or one of its many varieties. If the person cannot tolerate the cpap, claustrophobic or just plain hates it, they should wear a mouthpiece then. Doing nothing can be a death sentence. Change lifestyle too.