Snoring generally is a long term problem, normally to the long suffering spouse, man or woman. Snoring and its related more dangerous condition obstructive sleep apnoea, can add tension to a relationship, disturb sleep, result in banishment of the unloved snorer to a different bedroom or the settee, affect health, create cardiovascular problems and in the most significant of cases lead to premature death.
Innumerable treatments have been tried for handling this problem beginning with the gold standard, a continuous positive airway pressure pump (CPAP) which takes the form of a face mask attached to a positive pressure air pump, many daunting and often painful surgical treatments jaw forward posturing devices, to the weird e.g. The infliction of an electric shock on the poor snorer.
One of the most frequently researched and successful treatments is holding the lower jaw forward whilst asleep. These include joined plastic gum shields, plastic trays, acrylic jaw posturing devices, orthodontic functional appliances, postural head pillows and many more. Basically all of these types of systems on the of holding the lower jaw into the “recovery position” and by doing so, advancing the mandible, tongue, and tongue base. As the tongue adopts a more forward position, it has been shown that both the uvula and the soft palate, that small dangly part and the soft piece of skin at the top and back of the mouth, follow the tongue forward. Both the advancement of the tongue and soft palate lead to an opening of the airway, improving air passage and stopping snoring, the obstruction being the primary cause of sleep apnea.
The snoring is made worse if the jaw and the tongue plus soft palate drop backwards against the back of the throat under the influence of gravity. Rolling the snorer onto the side will partially overcome the gravitational pull and open the airway by the jaw and tongue moving forward and on the side.
Thankfully in very many cases these oral appliances have been proven to be tremendously successful, actually there is now a entire industry building up to manufacture and provice these appliances, many have their restrictions and complications in the short and more importantly in the long term.
Loran Simon is a Director at Somnowell. Somnowell manufacture the first chrome cobalt oral device to be used in the management of snoring and sleep apnoea.
