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Glossary of Dental Terms
How do I get a Snore Guard?
You may order directly from us at (800) 680-9361.
How is it fit? Do I need to take impressions and send it off to you?
Snore Guard® is easily fit at chair side in 10-15 minutes. No outside lab work! You boil it for 2-3 minutes. Let it cool for 30 seconds. Fit Snore Guard® directly to patient's upper teeth. Guide the mandible into the lower portion, then trim. Click here for instructions with images captured from our instructional video. A download is also available in PDF format.
How far forward do I protrude the mandible?
You can safely protrude the mandible 2-4 mm if necessary. In most cases, you can fit in centric occlusion. However, generally in Class II patients you will need to fit edge to edge. See Instructional DVD or Video.
How does fitting Snore Guard® in centric have any effect on snoring?
While you are upright, your airway passage is open. It is not until you recline that the lower jaw relaxes, allowing the muscles around the soft palate, uvula and tonsils to relax. The tongue falls back often obstructing the airway and these relaxed muscles vibrate due to the increased force of air now necessary to breathe to get through the obstructed airway. By keeping the jaw in the same position it is in during waking periods, you keep the airway open. Therefore, it is not necessary to protrude the mandible, except in rare cases when the patient's lower teeth will not fit in the lower tray without hitting the hard plastic or with mild obstructive sleep apnea patients. Generally, in these incidences moving the mandible edge to edge is sufficient.
How effective is Snore Guard®?
Snore Guard® has been proven to be over 95% effective in the treatment of snoring. This is according to published research documentation.
Does Snore Guard® work for Sleep Apnea?
Numerous published reports indicate oral appliances are an effective alternative for treating mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). One study, published May 1996 specifically compares Snore Guard® to the nCPAP (nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). The study found the Snore Guard® to have a 48% success rate for mild to moderate sleep apnea. (Very successful for a single position appliance...as noted by one of the authors.) This same study reported 6 of 7 patients prefer Snore Guard® to nCPAP.
Can Snore Guard® be adjusted?
Today's buzzword in the Industry of snoring and sleep apnea treatment is adjustable. Just how necessary and safe is an adjustable oral appliance? Snore Guard®'s present design accommodates 80% of those patients requiring treatment. For the remaining 20%, a custom design appliance is better suited for their needs. The predominant features and benefits of Snore Guard® vs. other oral appliances that are made at chair side are as follows:
- Snore Guard® is already designed to be slightly adjustable.
- It can be re-heated up to three times and the mandible can be safely moved forward up to 4mm.
- Snore Guard® has been on the market since 1989 with numerous test studies and reports proving its efficacy and safety.
- Snore Guard® has years of medical and dental research behind its development.
- Snore Guard® is small and comfortable. The less someone has to put in their mouth, the more likely they are to comply.
An appliance that would move the mandible more than 4mm forward should be custom-made through a laboratory and not a chair side procedure. This patient would need to be closely monitored to assure the snoring was controlled without causing adverse harm to the TMJ.
Will Snore Guard® cause Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD)?
Snore Guard® is fit in centric so as not to put undo strain on TMJ. Even if fit protrusive, the mouth is open and forward similar to appliances used to correct TMJD. Snore Guard® has been on the market since 1989 with no reported TMJ discomfort.
What about Super Eruption of the posteriors?
Super eruption is caused when the back teeth are kept from touching each other over long periods of time. The Snore Guard® is only used during sleep and therefore the teeth are together during long wake periods. Since most people who snore sleep with their mouths open and do not encounter eruption, there is no indication that Snore Guard® will cause super eruption. There have been no reports of super eruption since Snore Guard®'s inception in 1989.
Can patients with TMJ Dysfunction or Dentures wear Snore Guard®?
Snore Guard® is not recommended for denture wearers, since they have nothing which the Snore Guard® can adhere unless they choose to keep their dentures in all night. Treatment for the TMJ patient needs to be evaluated individually. When fit correctly, there is no indication that the Snore Guard® causes TMJ discomfort. The mouth is kept open 7mm and in most cases is in centric, therefore no additional strain is placed on the TMJ.
Will Snore Guard® work for Bruxism?
Many dentists report using Snore Guard® as a dual appliance for snoring and bruxism. However, the Snore Guard® was specifically designed for snoring and has no specific data backing these claims. The Dr. Hays Bite Guard is our new product that is specifically designed for bruxism.
What if I misfit Snore Guard®?
Each Snore Guard® can be re-heated and re-fit up to three times. Is Snore Guard® one-size-fits-all? 85% of patients should easily be fitted with Snore Guard®. Occasionally, a patient's arch is too large or too small to be accommodated by the upper tray. Minor adjustments may be made with an acrylic burr. Patients with overbites, crooked, missing, or loose teeth are not candidates for Snore Guard®. (Patient must have at least 10 good teeth to wear Snore Guard®.)
What is the life span?
On average, Snore Guard® lasts a year. Many patients have reported Snore Guard® lasting 3 - 5 years.
How does the patient care for Snore Guard®?
Care is simple. A toothbrush and toothpaste are all that is needed. Upon removal, the Snore Guard® should be brushed, rinsed in cool water, and stored in the container provided. We do not recommend soaking in mouthwash since it can leach into the soft plastic and cause gum irritation. An occasional soaking in a denture cleaning solution is recommended by many dentists.
Is there a guarantee?
Unfortunately, there is no panacea for snoring. However, Snore Guard® has been proven to be 95% effective for the treatment of snoring.
Does insurance cover Snore Guard®?
Most insurance companies currently do not recognize snoring as a health problem. Often, insurance companies do cover oral appliances for mild obstructive sleep apnea treatment. If you believe your patient is suffering from more severe forms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), they should be referred to a medical physician and/or sleep clinic. If a sleep clinic or medical physician refers a patient with OSA to you, obtain a written referral to treat this patient and submit the referral along with the claim to the insurance company. Please contact the patient's individual insurance company to obtain accurate filing information. Listed below are some insurance codes that other dentists have submitted.
Dental
5999 Maxifacial Prosthesis
8210 Harmful Habit Appliance
9940 Occlusal Appliance for Bruxism
Medical
CPT21085 Complete Oral Appliance Therapy
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System
HCPCS code: S8260 Oral orthotic for treatment
FDA link for snoring and sleep apnea information. |
