Patients Looking For Somnomed MAS, Somnodent MAS, TAP Appliances,...

GURNEE, IL, July 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dental Sleep Medicine is rapidly becoming a major player in the treatment of sleep apnea.

[Ugerth]

My CPAP works pretty well, but not great, for me (mild apnea + insomnia), but I travel often and a dental appliance would be so much simpler and may work better (by not awakening me late at night). So I tried a dental appliance.

In short: big, expensive mistake.

• Most “sleep doctors” are CPAP peddlers. It’s all they know. The dental appliance physician has to train the sleep doctor and sleep techs how to sleep-test the product.
• The very experienced and very cooperative sleep techs at my previous sleep lab (I changed labs because that sleep doc is useless) told me they had tested many such appliances, and not one patient had any success with them.
• Most insurers won’t pay for these dental appliances because they don’t work.
• I interviewed a few dentists who sell these appliances, and chose one who specializes in jaw medicine and sells a high-end device called the Somnomed MAS.
• Against most advice (the studies supporting this concept are very small), I bit the bullet and bought an appliance as a gamble (there are no guarantees). As a lean male with mild apnea, I was a great candidate for this approach.

My Somnomed is very sleek; I barely notice it in my mouth. It grabs all my teeth, not just the front ones, so should not alter my bite. It lets me talk, sip water, yawn, move my jaw, etc., and remains comfortable all night. If any such device is going to work, I figured, this one should, and this dentist is extremely knowledgeable in the physiology of the jaw and throat and the mechanisms of how apnea affects atherosclerosis. He accompanied me to the sleep study to make sure the sleep doc and techs properly fine-tuned the device to optimize my breathing. The objective is to titrate the jaw extension to maximum apnea prevention by repeatedly advancing the jaw, counting apnea events and pulse oxygen in the next sleep session, and repeating, all night. Analysis of the data should then tell the docs what amount of jaw extension best relieves the apnea.

There were just two problems:
1. It didn’t do squat for my apnea … virtually no effect whatsoever at any jaw extension.
2. My jaw still hurts 30 days after the max-advancement phase of the sleep study, and I haven’t even seen the device since the study. If my jaw pain doesn’t subside soon, I will call that dentist next week and have him fix my jaw at his expense.

What did my out-of-pocket $2,500 for my dental appliance buy me? A sore jaw and a pair of paperweights.

[Rick]

Ugerth wrote:

My CPAP works pretty well, but not great, for me (mild apnea + insomnia), but I travel often and a dental appliance would be so much simpler and may work better (by not awakening me late at night). So I tried a dental appliance.
In short: big, expensive mistake.
• Most “sleep doctors” are CPAP peddlers. It’s all they know. The dental appliance physician has to train the sleep doctor and sleep techs how to sleep-test the product.
• The very experienced and very cooperative sleep techs at my previous sleep lab (I changed labs because that sleep doc is useless) told me they had tested many such appliances, and not one patient had any success with them.
• Most insurers won’t pay for these dental appliances because they don’t work.
• I interviewed a few dentists who sell these appliances, and chose one who specializes in jaw medicine and sells a high-end device called the Somnomed MAS.
• Against most advice (the studies supporting this concept are very small), I bit the bullet and bought an appliance as a gamble (there are no guarantees). As a lean male with mild apnea, I was a great candidate for this approach.
My Somnomed is very sleek; I barely notice it in my mouth. It grabs all my teeth, not just the front ones, so should not alter my bite. It lets me talk, sip water, yawn, move my jaw, etc., and remains comfortable all night. If any such device is going to work, I figured, this one should, and this dentist is extremely knowledgeable in the physiology of the jaw and throat and the mechanisms of how apnea affects atherosclerosis. He accompanied me to the sleep study to make sure the sleep doc and techs properly fine-tuned the device to optimize my breathing. The objective is to titrate the jaw extension to maximum apnea prevention by repeatedly advancing the jaw, counting apnea events and pulse oxygen in the next sleep session, and repeating, all night. Analysis of the data should then tell the docs what amount of jaw extension best relieves the apnea.
There were just two problems:
1. It didn’t do squat for my apnea … virtually no effect whatsoever at any jaw extension.
2. My jaw still hurts 30 days after the max-advancement phase of the sleep study, and I haven’t even seen the device since the study. If my jaw pain doesn’t subside soon, I will call that dentist next week and have him fix my jaw at his expense.
What did my out-of-pocket $2,500 for my dental appliance buy me? A sore jaw and a pair of paperweights.

I have the same problem since I am on the road a lot it was cumbersome to carry my cpap with me. I decided to investigate other machines and discovered on Cpap.com a machine that weighs 1.5# and is much smaller that the original equipment. I had seen this unit in a med. store for 1250.00 but on line it was only 350.00. You have to send them your prescription for setting the machine, but I have had it for several years. It is made by one of the noted companies and I have had no problems with it.

[Jean]

I too could not tolerate the CPAP with mild to moderate sleep apnea. My doctor said if I sleep on my side I would not snore or have interrupted breathing. I have always slept on my back and trying to sleep on my side has caused neck pain and shoulder tension..but it works.

Now to the $2000 Somnomed that I decided to try so I could sleep on my back when I want to or need to. I tried the top part for 4 days and had mild tooth pain. Then I took the plung and tried the appliance. For 8 days I had the worst head ache I have ever had in my life. My doctor put me on Flexerol to relax the muscles in my head as they were all tied in knots. I also have TMJ, fibromyalgia as well as sleep apnea. Just a quick search showed me that someone with TMJ should never have their jaw extended like this device does.
I have been back to my dentist who made the imprint to make the device. She said to just give it a rest for now. The TMJ and fibromyalgia may be a factor but should not cause the muscle head ache I had.

Anyone want a very slightly used CPAP? I offer up the very expensive dental appliance but then it has to fit your teeth. After we write the check for $2000 I am going to throw it under a large lawn mower!

My dentist was not qualified to agree to make this appliance for me as she did not take into account my other health conditons. My insurance has already written this off with $0. If you are going to try this appliance do your research, find a qualified dentist to make the impression and fit the device and be prepared for a lot of tooth sensitivity and head aches.