Sleep apnea is a common condition that occurs when a person stops breathing during sleep. Most people are instructed by their physicians to use a CPAP to help them breathe. However, about half the people who are supposed to use a CPAP are unable to tolerate the device and stop using it within just one week. Many times these people feel hopeless and are unaware that there is another option that is comfortable and successful.

In most cases, patients who are instructed to use CPAP therapy can instead use a comfortable and affordable oral appliance. This appliance looks like a retainer and is only worn while sleeping. Most patients who use the appliance report sleeping better, feeling more rested, no longer snoring and getting up less frequently at night. Many lose weight, lower their blood pressure and have their doctor take them off of medications!

Terry Cooper of Troy explains, “I used a CPAP for about 10 years. It was restrictive and cumbersome and would keep me awake at times during the night. I learned about the oral sleep appliance at a local seminar. My appliance is very natural to wear, helps me sleep better and I no longer snore. I felt better the first night I used it. My appliance is well worth the cost, especially considering my health and well-being are at stake.”

Oral appliance therapy has been recognized and recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a successful method for treatment of sleep apnea since 2006. It is very common for CPAP sufferers to never be informed about oral appliance therapy. Most sleep physicians routinely give their patients options of CPAP, surgery and weight loss, but often fail to mention oral appliance therapy. It’s more common for people like Terry to discover oral appliance therapy from watching television, reading the newspaper or hearing about it from a friend.

Carolyn Mers of Belleville said, “When I used a CPAP I didn’t like feeling confined to my bed and not being able to talk to my husband. All this has changed since I started using my oral appliance. My appliance is wonderful. Not only can I easily get up to go to the bathroom and take a drink of water, I get better quality of sleep and I’m more awake and alert all day.”

Iona Snedeker of Bunker Hill learned about the oral appliance from a friend, “One of my friends who uses an oral appliance suggested I see Dr. Smith after hearing me complain about my CPAP. My CPAP mask never fit right and sometimes my face would be marked for hours and my eye would swell up due to the air leaks. Since I’ve been using an oral appliance I can sleep twice as long without waking up, I’ve lost weight and I feel like walking and going places again! I would spend the money on this appliance again in a minute, no second thoughts. I love that it is small, easy to care for and makes traveling easy.”