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Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliance therapy is not a new idea. It was in use as far back as the early
1900's. But it was not until the 1980's that physicians and dentists began to
work together to study and develop this alternative form of treatment enabling
more patients to breathe without obstruction during the night.
There are many oral appliances available to the public. Only a few are accepted
by the FDA for the treatment of OSA; these are custom made and fitted, and are
only available from a qualified provider. These appliances are similar to
orthodontic retainers and can control snoring and OSA in up to 75% of selected
patients.
After an extensive evaluation, Dr Nanda will make a custom oral appliance. This
appliance fits in to your mouth and opens up the airway by repositioning your
tongue and lower jaw and preventing collapse of the tongue and soft tissue in the
back of your throat. It relieves your symptoms of snoring, and returns your
nighttime breathing to normal.
Oral appliances come in two major families. Those that hold your lower jaw
foreword - Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS) and others which hold your
tongue forward - Tongue Retaining Device (TRD). Most common is the MAS, but
this family of appliance requires adequate healthy sound teeth for retention in
the mouth. TRDs are not retained by teeth and can be used by people who have no teeth or who have severe facial jaw pain.
Once your oral appliance is complete, it will be fit into your mouth and adjusted
over a number of follow-up visits to ensure it effectively treats your snoring
and OSA.
After you have been using the appliance regularly, during sleeping hours, for
two or three months, Dr. Nanda will refer you back to your physician or sleep
specialist to determine how effectively the appliance is controlling your
snoring and OSA.
Then Dr. Nanda will continue to monitor your treatment and evaluate the
response of your teeth and jaws and continue to maintain and modify your
oral appliance, if necessary, so that it remains effective.
Dr. Nanda can also provide custom made nasal masks retained without elastic
straps and head gear to provide comfort when utilizing CPAP therapy as
described above.
Patient Testimonials
Dr Nanda and his staff are professional, friendly and extremely helpful. After fitting me with the Sleep Apnea Appliance, my quality of life has improved. I sleep better than I did with my CPAP and am more alert during the daytime. I highly recommend Dr. Nanda. ~GR
After using a CPAP for my sleep apnea that always made me feel tired, I was thrilled to learn about the oral appliance that Dr. Nanda offers. After using it the first night I awoke feeling rested for the first time in years! It's easy to use and allows you to fall asleep naturally. I have had "more energy" since using the oral appliance.
Mimi's pleasantness over the phone and in person makes you feel welcomed. Dawn's warmth & sense of humor also helps calm one's nerves. Dr. Nanda is extremely knowledgeable.~Joe
Thank you for the great work Dr. Nanda. ~BS
I am very impressed with the expertise of Dr. Nanda. He is quick, efficient and a perfectionist. The office decor is exquisite and I like the background music too. Every detail is well executed. I highly recommend him. [The] office staff are also very courteous and friendly.~ PD
Dr. Nanda did a great job explaining the procedure to me. ~JD