Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Appliances
A custom mouthpiece that holds your lower jaw forward while you sleep — after your physician has diagnosed you.
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the airway collapses during sleep and breathing repeatedly stops. It is a medical condition with real consequences for the heart and for daytime alertness, and it is diagnosed by a physician using a sleep study — not by a dentist, and not from a questionnaire.
What we can make, once you have that diagnosis, is an oral appliance. It looks a little like two sports guards joined together and works by holding the lower jaw slightly forward, which keeps the airway open. For mild to moderate apnea, and for people who cannot tolerate CPAP, it is a recognized treatment.
We are being deliberately careful here: an appliance made without a diagnosis can mask apnea rather than treat it. Snoring quietly while still not breathing properly is worse than snoring loudly, because it removes the warning sign. If you have not had a sleep study, that is the first step and we will help you get there.
An oral appliance is only made after a physician has diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea with a sleep study. We do not diagnose sleep apnea and do not treat it without that diagnosis.
Is this right for me?
- A physician has diagnosed you with obstructive sleep apnea from a sleep study.
- CPAP was prescribed but you cannot tolerate it, or you travel and need an alternative.
- You have enough healthy teeth for an appliance to hold onto, and a healthy jaw joint.
What to expect
Your diagnosis comes first
We need the sleep study result and your physician on board. If you do not have one, we will point you toward getting one rather than making an appliance anyway.
A dental assessment
We check that your teeth can support an appliance, that your gums are healthy and that your jaw joint tolerates being held forward.
Scans and a bite record
We record your teeth and a starting jaw position. The lab builds the appliance to that specific position.
Fitting and titration
The appliance is adjustable. We advance it gradually over weeks, in small increments, to find the position that works with the least jaw strain.
Back to your physician
A follow-up sleep study confirms whether the appliance is actually working. That confirmation is part of the treatment, not an optional extra.
Your comfort
The first couple of weeks bring jaw tenderness in the morning and more saliva at night. Both usually settle. A morning bite exercise helps the jaw return to its normal position, and we teach you one at the fitting.
Insurance and payment, sorted before you sit down
We take all PPO plans, Medi-Cal Dental and most Medicare Advantage dental plans, and we check your benefits before treatment so the estimate is in writing. If you need to spread the cost, we work with CareCredit, Cherry and Sunbit.
Apply for financing — Cherry Avenue Office
- CareCredit®Apply online in a few minutes. Decision is usually immediate.
- CherryApply on your phone. The pre-qualification check does not affect your credit score.
- SunbitApplied for at the front desk when you come in — takes a few minutes.
Questions patients ask
Can you diagnose my sleep apnea?
No. Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician, usually from a sleep study done at home or in a lab. We make and manage the appliance once that diagnosis exists, and we work alongside your doctor rather than around them.
I only snore. Do I need any of this?
Snoring on its own is not sleep apnea, but it can be a sign of it. The only way to know is a sleep study. Treating snoring while leaving undiagnosed apnea in place is exactly the outcome we want to avoid.
Is it better or worse than CPAP?
CPAP is generally more effective, especially in severe apnea. An appliance is often better tolerated, and the treatment that gets used every night beats the more effective one sitting in a cupboard. Your physician helps make that call.
Will it change my bite?
Small bite changes over years of use are a recognized effect. We monitor for it at your regular exams and can adjust the plan if it starts. It is one of the reasons we want to keep seeing you rather than making an appliance and waving goodbye.
Does insurance cover it?
Oral appliances for diagnosed sleep apnea are usually processed through medical insurance rather than dental, which is a different claim path. We will tell you what we can and cannot verify, and what documentation your physician needs to supply.
Related services
Thinking about Sleep Apnea Appliances?
Send a request and we'll call you back to find a time. You'll get a written estimate before anything is booked in the schedule.