What can i expect after being fitted for an oral appliance to correct apnea? i have an appointment coming up to be fitted for an oral appliance to hopefully correct my apnea. i'll be glad to get it, but i'd like to know if there are any side effects or ch

CPAP : CPAP works by forcing air into the nose, through either a fitted mask or nose prongs, to maintain an open airway passage. The most effective dental devices work by pushing the lower jaw forward, thereby opening the air passage behind the tongue. Most are custom made by dentists and are adjusted periodically to find the most comfortable and effective position for the individual patient. Some things to expect: dry mouth when it occurs is usually transient and can often be compensated for by simple changes to the appliance. A small subgroup of patients has persistent dry mouth that is impossible to accept. There are patients with sjorgren’s syndrome, medication side effects and other conditions that predispose them to dry mouth and there are many over the counter and prescription remedies available. I have found two products that patients report great success with use. The first is rinsinol by oral b. It is not marketed as a product for dry mouth but as a product for treating oral ulcers but it provides excellent coverage of mucosal tissues. The second product is a prescription item made specifically to treat oral mucositis associated with chemotherapy. I use it in an off label method with amazing success. The product is gel-clair and it comes packaged in a box of 21 small packages meant to be diluted with two tablespoons of water and rinsed around the mouth. I found the product roughly equivalent to rinsinol when used in that fashion and very expensive. I have many patients who use this product full strength and apply a small amount to their tissues and find it miraculous in how it controls dry mouth all night long. An advantage to the off label method is one package can be used for several nights making it inexpensive to use. It also works extremely well for oral ulcers in its undiluted form. A problem frequently seen with oral appliances is pet dogs and cats have an affinity for eating, chewing and destroying them. I have never heard of this happening with CPAP masks and hoses. Patients also are more likely to leave an oral appliance somewhere because it so small and does not require a special case. Bite changes are a more common phenomenon with oral appliances and are also easily reversible early on. When the patient wears the appliance that keeps their jaw in a different position for eight hours healing occurs in joints and adaptation will often occur. Dentists usually give their patients exercisers or positioners to return to their original position. Patients are often not aware of the bite changes. When patients are aware of the changes about 50% find them to be favorable. It is rare to see a patient discontinue use due to the bite changes. Dentists are often more upset with the bite changes than the patients are. There is also a subgroup of patients who experience tm joint problems or muscle pain when wearing appliances. These problems are almost never a reason to not use oral appliances but they need to be addressed and treated by a dentist trained to deal with TMJ disorders. The remarkable fact is that 90–95% of oral appliance users report long-term satisfaction with their treatment. The problems associated with appliance use are usually easily solved or well tolerated by patients. Many patients who start with treating their sleep apnea problems find that correcting the underlying TMJ disorders an advantage not a problem. Similarly, many patients who start seeking treatment for TMJ disorders find that they move on to treating their sleep problems. Because the underlying problems are the same it turns out that treating either problem usually helps both problems. Good luck!

Big Topic: Too much to cover in 400 characters or less. I thought this was a good article on the matter: https://www.verywellhealth.com/getting-and-using-an-oral-appliance-for-sleep-apnea-3015184