A snore guard is a custom-fit oral appliance worn during sleep that gently shifts your lower jaw forward to keep your airway open. When your airway stays clear, the soft tissue vibration that causes snoring is reduced or eliminated.
Most patients who snore have no idea the solution is this simple. You wear a small, comfortable device, and your partner stops dreaming of separate bedrooms. At Littleton Family Dental, we fit custom snore guards for patients in Littleton and the surrounding South Denver area who are done losing sleep over a problem that has a straightforward fix.
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are related but not the same thing. Understanding the difference is worth a few sentences.
Snoring happens when airflow is partially restricted during sleep, causing the soft tissue in your throat to vibrate. It's disruptive, but on its own it isn't a medical condition.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where the airway becomes fully or significantly blocked during sleep, causing breathing to stop repeatedly through the night. Loud, chronic snoring is one of the most common signs of OSA, which is why the two are often discussed together.
If you snore and also wake up feeling unrested, experience daytime fatigue, or have been told you gasp or stop breathing during sleep, those are signs worth mentioning to your doctor. A sleep study is the only way to know whether OSA is present and how severe it is.
A custom snore guard addresses the mechanical cause of snoring by keeping your airway open during sleep. For patients who snore without a sleep apnea diagnosis, it's often the most practical and comfortable solution available.
Snoring loud enough to wake your partner is the most obvious sign, but it's not the only one. If you wake up with a dry mouth, a sore throat, or a headache that wasn't there when you went to bed, your airway is probably struggling while you sleep.
Patients who sleep on their back, carry extra weight around the neck, or have a naturally narrow airway tend to see the greatest improvement from snore guard therapy.
If you have been told you stop breathing during sleep, or if a sleep study has confirmed mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, an oral appliance may be appropriate as part of your treatment plan. We coordinate with your physician in those cases to make sure the appliance fits within a broader care approach.
Grinding your teeth at night is also common in snorers. We can often address both with a single custom appliance, depending on your situation.
26 W Dry Creek Cir #375
Littleton, CO 80120
Littleton Family Dental has served patients in Littleton for over 20 years. We take impressions in-office, work with a dental lab to fabricate your custom appliance, and then walk you through fitting and adjustment so it's comfortable from the first night.
We don't use generic, one-size solutions. A snore guard that doesn't fit correctly doesn't get worn, and that doesn't help anyone. If an adjustment is needed after you take it home, we're here for that too.
If you've been putting off dealing with snoring because you assumed the only option was a CPAP, come in for a conversation. There may be a simpler path.
They work on the same principle, but they're not always identical. A snore guard is designed to reduce snoring. A sleep apnea appliance is prescribed as a treatment device for diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea, usually in coordination with a physician or sleep specialist. If you've had a sleep study, bring those results and we can discuss which appliance makes sense.
There's usually an adjustment period of a week or two. Custom-fit appliances are significantly more comfortable than over-the-counter options because they're made from impressions of your actual teeth. Most patients adapt quickly and report the discomfort fades.
