RE: What are your thoughts on dental Daytime Nightime Appliances (DNA)?
I should clarify, the only surgery I'm considering is a frenulectomy (tongue tie release), which is a quick and brief procedure. This is step two of the three parts I listed above, in theory, it allows the tongue to better reach the optimum position at the roof of the mouth, for breathing.
The ENT surgeon cautioned against this, feeling it was unnecessary, and might lead to a painful recovery.
As for tolerating the CPAP, according to OSCAR data, I am a reasonably compliant user of it, and it is doing its job. However, I often wish to remove it while sleeping, and never wake up feeling refreshed, but still fatigued. I also don't like the idea of being reliant on a device for sleeping the rest of my life.
RE: What are your thoughts on dental Daytime Nightime Appliances (DNA)?
Hi, Just saw this post. Has VIVOS worked for you, if I may ask? Seriously considering it. I've got a narrow airway and jaw, UARS, mild apnea all likely due to restrictive orthodontics as a child. Thanks
RE: What are your thoughts on dental Daytime Nightime Appliances (DNA)?
There are problems with extended wear of dental appliances that are designed to move your lower jaw forward to open the airway
Have a look at studies that show the occlusal changes that occur, as well as the changes in the temporal mandibular joint
Frenectomy in an adult that doesn't have severe tongue tie....IE the tip of the tongue cannot extend past the lower incisal edges...doesn't do anything to help reposition the tongue in rest position. It does make the dentist $600 for a 2 minute procedure...
There is a lot of controversy in dentistry around much apnea related. There are practitioners that say they can use a CBCT to diagnose or quantify the amount of obstruction present despite the fact that it isn't diagnostic, or even shows soft tissue...
Surgery in other than definitive cases where there are obstructions such as nasal restrictions, or huge tonsils or adenoids will also do very little, or can make things much worse long term
Unless you are going to have Orthognathic Surgery you will not get expansion of the maxilla in an adult...
Expansion stops when the midline maxillary suture closes ... usually around 12-13 years of age
I always say.... follow the money... and do nothing that harms patients...
Buyer beware..
PS: I am using a CPAP and have been been to a lot of courses that push the other options as a way to expand your moneymaking in your practice...
RE: What are your thoughts on dental Daytime Nightime Appliances (DNA)?
Been using my CPAP for about 10 months now and the Vivos mmRNA device for about 8 months. Just had a complete scan and measurements done yesterday. My palate has expanded by about 10% so far and imagery shows that my air passage which was like a straw has opened up dramatically. I still have another year to go but I am breathing much better and the few times I have slept without the cpap my snoring (and apnea) has been dramatically less. I have real hope that at the end I will never have to use a cpap again.