How to Use a Snore Guard for Sleep Apnea. Types and how each one can help

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you know what a scary experiences such sleep issues can be. You don’t know if you’re breathing safely at night while you sleep, and you many wonder if there are periods of time where you are not breathing at all. You may feel overwhelmed by this. Snore guards are some of the most effective devices for helping you keep your sleep apnea at bay, but choosing the right snore guard can be a very difficult decision – the right product would vary from person to person. With so many choices, and so many similarities, it can be hard to find the right guard for you.

Understanding the three main types of snore guards available today can really help you. These include:

• Fixed jaw relation snore guard
• Semi-adjustable snore guard
• Fully adjustable snore guard

1. Fixed jaw relation snore guard

A fixed jaw relation mouthguard for snoring comes in one of the two varieties. The first is a prefabricated mouthguard for snoring and the second is an elastomeric appliance. A prefabricated snore guard is the more inexpensive of the two. It is an over-the-counter remedy for snoring, and it is commonly called a “boil and bite” appliance. This is because you boil the guard before using it, and then you bite into the guard when it is still soft to create a custom impression of your teeth’s shape.

An elastomeric appliance is similar to the boil and bite model, but the major difference is the price and the fact that a dentist must take the mold of your teeth for you to get this appliance customized for fitting. Once the dentist has taken impressions of both your upper and lower teeth, your mold will be sent off to a lab so that your guard can be custom made for you. A key benefit of an elastomeric appliance is that it is made from tough silicone rubber, so it is almost impossible to break.

2. Semi-adjustable snore guard

Semi-adjustable guards are a second category of mouth guards for snoring. Your dentist makes these kinds of guards by taking a plaster mold of both your upper and lower rows of teeth, similar to how the elastomeric guards are made. However, the difference between these guards and the elastomeric guards is that the laboratory that makes the set manufactures it as two separate trays of plastic bits. Then, a simple hinge attaches the two pieces, hence “semi-adjustable” sleep apnea mouth guard. This model is designed to allow you to fully open and close your mouth while sleeping ,while still keeping the jaw in place.

Fully adjustable snore guard

The third type of guard is called a fully adjustable mouthguard for snoring. This is the costliest option of the three, and another variety that a dentist must make for you. This is because the bits are held together using a jack screw assembly that allows your dentist to progressively adjust the device to increase the amount of jaw protrusion you tend to have while you sleep. This device also enjoys the highest success rate of any model, so many users wholeheartedly believe it’s worth every penny.