SLEEP APNEA MOUTH GUARDS
Sleep Apnea Devices
Sleep Apnea is a Public Health Problem
Given its prevalence and effect on health, quality of life, and safety obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is emerging as a significant public health issue that demands a social acknowledgment and concern. Millions of people suffer from different degrees of sleep disordered breathing beginning from simple snoring without pathology to more severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep disordered breathing affects as much as 9 percent of middle-aged women and 24 percent of middle aged men. The National Sleep Foundation reports that almost 18 million people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, though as many as 90 percent of individuals with sleep apnea have never been diagnosed.
*For the original excerpt of this passage and the biliography, please review the “The TAP Standard of Care” article under “Resources”.
The AM Aligner is a thermoplastic occlusion splint included with every myTAP and dreamTAP case kits. Repositioning the mandible forward at night using the TAP system creates a transient malocclusion in the morning with anterior tooth contact and posterior open bite. The AM Aligner is designed to reestablish the proper intercuspation of the teeth. Fabricated in the dentist’s office before the sleep apnea device is delivered, the AM Aligner creates a centric occlusion splint that can be used every day by the patient to return the mandible to the original relationship to the maxilla. Please refer to the “AM Aligner Clinician’s Instructions” resource for further details.
The TAP System
Oral appliance therapy has been proven by research to be an effective method of treating OSA. Worn only during sleep, the oral appliance fits like a sports mouth guard or an orthodontic retainer would. It supports the jaw in a forward position to help maintain an open upper airway. The TAP system’s (myTAP and dreamTAP) are FDA approved and is regarded as the most effective and comfortable sleep apnea device for mild to moderate OSA according to 36 different peer reviewed studies. MyTAP appliciances can be adjusted conveniently for maximum comfort, allowing you to provide same-day treatment and immediate relief. Once the patient shows tolerance to the TAP system and relief from their symptoms, dreamTAP appliance can then be custom made for each individual patient for long-term treatment.
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