Snore Guard^® is an oral appliance that resembles an athletic mouthpiece. Small and flexible, it has no moving parts, masks, hoses, or batteries. Snore Guard^® is made from sterile thermoplastic. It is easy to clean with a regular toothbrush.

How is Snore Guard^® fitted?

Snore Guard® is fitted by a dentist. It takes one simple, painless chair-side visit. There are no needles, no drugs, no tools in your mouth. No lab work or X-rays are required.

Your dentist prepares the blank Snore Guard® form by placing it in a hot water. This is sometimes referred to as a “boil and bite” device. Typically, a cup of water with a stirring rod is brought to a boil and then removed from the heat source. The device is then placed in the hot water for 3 minutes where it will begin to become transparent as it softens.

It is removed from the hot water and air cooled for 25 - 30 seconds before fitting. The dentist centers the mouthpiece to your upper teeth and pushes up firmly, inserting your teeth into the soft, warm plastic. Then you bite into the thermoplastic at the bottom of the mouthpiece. Your lower jaw is in a normal or slightly advanced position.  In about 30 seconds, the thermoplastic becomes firm and the mouthpiece can be removed from your mouth. Excess thermoplastic is trimmed and smoothed from the top and bottom so that the Snore Guard fits comfortably.

The following graphics show the stages in fitting the Snore Guard^®.

The Snore Guard^® mouthpiece, blank and unfitted.

The fitted mouthpiece, before trimming.

The fitted, trimmed mouthpiece.

How does Snore Guard^® work?

Snore Guard® is worn during sleep. It uses normal body reflexes to help keep the airway open. The device fits snugly on the upper teeth. When the lower jaw closes, the lower anterior teeth naturally strike the ramp and are induced by natural jaw movement to advance along the ramp moving the lower jaw to a more forward position. An aperture in the device between the upper portion and the lower portion facilitates the passage of air for mouth breathing and attracts the tongue forward.  By inducing the lower jaw and tongue to a more forward position, the device induces a more open airway in the user resulting in a significant reduction in snoring. Minor forward movement of the lower jaw, in the range of 2 to 6mm serves to reduce the incidence of snoring.

How effective is Snore Guard^®?

"Though my wife complained of snoring, especially when I returned from a Sydney or Hong Kong flight, I realized I had a problem (and set out to correct it) when my snoring woke my daughter up, through two closed doors.

"With no changes in my life style, using the Snore Guard, I now wake up (after 7 hours sleep) at 6-7 am, well rested."

- United Airlines Captain

Users of Snore Guard^® report significant improvement of sleep quality, and a return of symptoms when it's not used.

• 99% reported reduced snoring and 50% reported elimination of snoring ("Oral Appliances for the Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Review," Schmidt-Nowara, et. al., Sleep, Vol. 18, No. 6, March 1995, pages 501-510).
   
• 80% reported decreased sleep disturbance with treatment ("Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea with a Dental Orthosis," Schmidt-Norwara, et. al., Sleep, November 1990).
   
• "Anti-snore device works: Product Name Snore Guard." A study of 75 people wearing the device showed snoring improved in all patients except one, and sleep quality and sleepiness also improved. (Clinical Research Associates Newsletter, Vol. 16, No. 12, December 1992, page 4)

How much does Snore Guard^® cost?

Snore Guard^® costs less than other medical snoring treatments, which can run to thousands of dollars. Snore Guard^® is available only through dentists; ask your dentist for an exact price.

Additional information

Additional sources of published information about Snore Guard and snoring include:

"Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea with a Dental Orthosis" by Wolfgang W. Schmidt-Nowara, M.D.; Thomas E. Meade, D.D.S.; and Marvin B. Hays, M.D. Published in Chest, Vol. 99, No. 6, (June 1991), pages 1378-1385.

"Anti-Snoring Device Works: Product Name Snore Guard" by Gordon J. Christensen, D.D.S., Ph.D. Published in Clinical Research Associates Newsletter, Vol. 16, No. 12, (December 1992), page 4.

"Final Project Report-Snore Guard, Project #93-016" USAF Dental Investigation Services, Armstrong Laboratory / AOCD, Brooks AFB, TX, 78234-5117,(March 21, 1994.

An American Sleep Disorders Association Review, "Oral Appliances for the Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea, A Review" by Wolfgang Schmidt-Nowara, M.D.; Alan Lowe, D.M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.D(C); Laurel Wiegand; Rosalind Cartwright; Francisco Perez-Guerra; and Stuart Menn. Published in Sleep, Vol. 18, No. 6, March 1995, pages 501-510.

"A Randomized Cross-over Study of an Oral Appliance Versus Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in the Treatment of Mild-Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea" by Kathleen A. Ferguson, B.S.C., M.D., F.C.C.P., F.R.C.P.C.; Takashi Ono, D.D.S., Ph.D.; Alan A. Lowe, D.M.A., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.C.; Sean P. Keenan, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.; John A. Fleetham, M.D., F.R.C.P.C. Accepted for publication in Chest, May 1996.

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