Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Appliances in Türkiye

What causes snoring

During sleep the muscles of the throat relax. In some people the tongue and soft palate fall backwards far enough to narrow the airway, and the tissue vibrates as air is forced past — that vibration is the sound. Where the airway closes completely for ten seconds or more, repeatedly through the night, the condition is obstructive sleep apnoea: a genuine medical disorder associated with daytime sleepiness, hypertension and cardiovascular risk, not merely a social nuisance.

Why this belongs partly with a dentist

The lower jaw carries the tongue. Advancing the mandible a few millimetres pulls the tongue base forward and enlarges the space behind it — and a device that holds the jaw in that position all night must be anchored to the teeth. Making it fit precisely, distribute force safely across the arch and avoid damaging the jaw joints is dental work. Diagnosing the sleep disorder itself is not, which is why the two disciplines have to cooperate.

Assessment comes first

We will not fit an appliance for suspected apnoea without a diagnosis. Loud snoring accompanied by witnessed breathing pauses, morning headaches, unrefreshing sleep or significant daytime sleepiness needs a sleep study — either at a sleep laboratory or with a home respiratory recording — to establish severity. Severe apnoea is not appropriately treated with an oral appliance alone; CPAP remains the standard of care, and we will say so.

The dental assessment covers what the appliance will rest on: how many healthy teeth are present and how well they are supported, the state of the jaw joints and chewing muscles, whether there is significant grinding, and whether the jaw can comfortably protrude far enough for advancement to work.

The appliance

A mandibular advancement device is made from digital scans of both arches and a protrusive bite record that sets the starting position — typically 60 to 70 per cent of maximum comfortable advancement. The two splints are connected so the lower jaw is held forward while still permitting a small amount of opening and lateral movement, which matters greatly for comfort and for joint health.

Crucially, the device is titratable: the advancement can be increased in small increments over the following weeks until snoring resolves without producing jaw discomfort. A one-position appliance is a compromise, and boil-and-bite devices bought online are worse — they fit poorly, load teeth unevenly and can move them.

What to expect

Most patients adapt within one to two weeks. Increased salivation, mild jaw or tooth tenderness on waking and a bite that feels slightly unfamiliar for the first half hour of the morning are all common early on and normally settle. Simple morning exercises help the bite reseat.

Over years, appliance therapy can produce small changes in tooth position and bite. This is a real trade-off, not a footnote, and it is why we review the bite at every follow-up, record the starting position carefully, and discuss it with you before you commit.

What else helps

Weight reduction where relevant, avoiding alcohol in the three hours before bed, treating nasal obstruction and sleeping on your side rather than your back all reduce snoring measurably. An appliance works best alongside these rather than instead of them.