Oral Appliances

Whether at the dentist’s office, in your local pharmacy, on the Internet, watching the Home Shopping Network, looking at an airline magazine, or at the local sporting goods store, we are all bombarded with a vast array of oral appliances that promise to do something special. They are touted to get your snoring under control, manage your sleep apnea, get rid of your morning headaches and TMJ problem, cure your migraines, stop teeth grinding, stop you from biting your tongue and cheeks while sleeping, or even give you more strength and better athletic performance! There seems to be an appliance for whatever ails you.

Here is what you need to know about Oral Appliances:

In my office, oral appliances, also called bite plates, splints, orthotics and night guards, are used to help relieve facial and jaw pain, control the severity of morning headaches, improve a compromised airway during sleep, and prevent morning jaw locking, which is one of the most troublesome and frightening problems my patients experience. As a result of using these devices, patients routinely report less tooth sensitivity, less pain, discomfort and tightness in their jaw muscles and reduced severity of TMJ pain, noises and jaw locking events, less snoring and morning fatigue.

My expertise with these oral appliances has given countless patients long lasting relief.

In addition to nighttime wear, some patients wear oral appliances during the day to help address the severe TMJ problems that have not been helped by prior treatment efforts in other offices. These oral appliances, which are custom fit to the specifics of a problem, are used to help support and protect unstable and painful Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ’s) that have been injured by arthritis or cartilage and ligament problems. These complicated orthopedic problems within the TMJs require the type of expertise that I can provide.

My expertise also encompasses the appliance options that are available to treat snoring and sleep apnea. These appliances, which commonly shift the jaw forward to increase the opening of the airway, must be fit properly to maximize their benefit and to prevent problems with the jaw muscles, jaw joints and the way your teeth fit together. Reducing snoring and the consequences of sleep apnea is certainly my goal, but not at any price. As a result, I am personally involved in the fitting, adjustment and monitoring of these devices. No assistant is given these responsibilities.

As you can clearly see, once the proper diagnosis is made, the selection, adjustment and monitoring of all oral appliances is critical. My involvement with these problems on a daily basis will ensure that not only will the right care be delivered, but also potential problems will be recognized early on and addressed.

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