Snoring

Say No More to Snoring – Clinic for Sleep Apnoea Treatment in Ballarat

What is Snoring?

People who snore make a loud rattling, vibrating, noisy sound while breathing during sleep, instead of the quiet normal breathing. Snoring is a sign of airway obstruction and often is associated with a medical condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

This is a serious condition that can have an adverse effect on your health. Some of the side effects of sleep apnoea are daytime sleepiness, fatigue, weight gain, high blood pressure, frequent night-time visits to the bathroom, and sexual problems.

Most people snore occasionally, but if it becomes chronic, not only can it affect the quality of your sleep, but also affect those who sleep near you. It can have far-reaching effects on your enjoyment of life.

Snoring is incredibly common, particularly in men. Almost 24% of men snore regularly, but they are not alone, 17% of women snore too.

Signs of Snoring

Waking up feeling unrefreshed
Excessive sleepiness during the day
Waking up with a sore throat
Morning headaches
Loss of concentration or memory

You are much more likely to snore if you drink alcohol in the evening. Taking sleeping tablets or sedatives to help you sleep can also increase your risk of snoring. Some people only snore when they sleep on their back, while others snore in all sleeping positions.

In-Home Sleep Studies

Effective Treatment for Snoring

Oral Appliances

Mandibular Advancement Splints (MAS)

Oral Appliances

Oral appliances are one of the best available treatments for snoring and a common treatment for sleep apnoea. They are worn at night and hold the jaw forwards so the tongue and throat tissues don’t obstruct the airway during sleep. See the diagrams below.

Normal airway and normal breathing
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Sleep apnoea. The lower jaw, palate and tongue drop back causing airway obstruction
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Normal airway. The oral appliance holds the jaw forward keeping the airway open
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We Can Prescribe State-of-the-Art 3D Printed Nylon Appliances for Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

3DS Advance

The 3DS Advance is a 3D printed Nylon dorsal wing design appliance. The dorsal design is the most popular custom made appliance in use worldwide. It is the only appliance in which the upper and lower components are not connected together.

The lateral fin design maximises patient comfort and minimises side effects and allows the patient to open and close, talk easily, sip water etc. As the upper and lower components can move independently of each other during mandibular movements there are less forces on teeth, thereby enhancing patient comfort.

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Custom Made 3D Printed Nylon Appliance from 3D Sleep Lab

Online Consultations Available

Mandibular Advancement Splints (MAS)

Despite the claims made by manufacturers, multiple studies demonstrate that the various designs of custom made MAS are similar in terms of efficacy. There have been 10 studies since 2005 all demonstrating no significant differences in the efficacy between the appliances. There are however differences in the side effect profiles between the various appliances. The following are regarded as the two key factors for achieving successful outcomes.

Comfort and Compliance

Experts in dental sleep medicine are in agreement that a key factor for achieving successful outcomes lie in the comfort of the appliance. This is primarily related to the type of material which is used and the resultant thinness, volume and mass.

This is particularly important for patients new to using an appliance, as well as for patients with small mouths and/or a strong gag reflex.

Strength and Durability

The second factor of importance is strength and durability. The 3D printing technology has revolutionised the field allowing appliances to be extremely thin, down to 0.5mm yet unbreakable in the mouth. As a result, 3D printed Nylon appliances are extremely comfortable to use, in stark contrast to the CPAP machine, which studies show most patients can’t use, and those that do can only do so for an average of 3 hours per night.

Any acrylic oral appliance, even when milled, and no matter how well made, can fracture in the mouth resulting in potentially very serious consequences. Acrylic resin is fast becoming an obsolete material for use in oral appliances as a result of its brittleness and the thickness required.