In the September 2010 Journal of Sleep and Breathing, an interesting study was conducted regarding the side effects of boil and bite type oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea. It was concluded that:

Nonusers complained more about ill-fitting appliances when compared to users, and “uncomfortable” was the main reason given to discontinue therapy. Even though we did not have PSG results for every patient, TheraSnore does appear to be less effective than a custom-made appliance. Since the TheraSnore is a ready-made appliance available in only one standard size, by design, it may result in a less than optimal fit and subsequently decrease overall compliance when compared to custom-made appliances. This study suggests that boil and bite appliances may not be always the alternative for custom-made appliances.

Dr. Stan Farrell is providing his patients with a custom-made oral appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea in his practice, AZ-Sleep (www.azsleep.net), located in Scottsdale, AZ.