Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) in Beverly, MA
A mandibular advancement device is a custom oral appliance that holds your lower jaw and tongue slightly forward while you sleep.
That small shift opens the airway and keeps it open, which reduces or stops snoring and eases the breathing pauses of obstructive sleep apnea.
For many people, it is a simpler, more comfortable alternative to a CPAP machine.
How a MAD Works
A MAD looks like a mouthguard and works while you sleep. It holds your lower jaw and tongue slightly forward, which keeps the soft tissue at the back of your throat from collapsing and blocking the airway. With the airway held open, the vibration that causes snoring settles, and the breathing pauses of mild sleep apnea ease.
One of the appliances we fit at Kuljic DDS & Team is the Lamberg SleepWell. It is simple to wear, easy to adjust and clean, and comfortable enough that most patients actually keep using it, which is where a lot of sleep treatment falls short. We hear often from patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea who could not tolerate their CPAP, and for many of them an oral appliance is what finally works.
For simple snoring, mild sleep apnea, and upper airway resistance, an oral appliance is a recognized first-choice treatment, not just a backup. For patients who cannot tolerate CPAP, it is a proven second option. Which path fits you depends on your diagnosis, and that is what the consultation sorts out.
If snoring or sleep apnea is disrupting your sleep, an oral appliance is one of several ways we treat it.
See how it fits the bigger picture in snoring and sleep apnea treatment. Call us at 978-922-4200 or request a consultation to find out if a mandibular advancement device is right for you.