Mandibular Advancement Devices

[BlinkyGeorgia]

Does anyone have experience with these devices for controlling sleep apnea? Are they preferable to masks and pumps?
I have the following "gear" ---- 
AirSense 10 AutoSet CPAP Machine with HumidAir
AirFit P10 Nasal Pillow Mask
SoClean 2 CPAP Cleaner and Sanitizer

[Sleep2Snore]

Never tried one, but I have been told by a few that have, they said they were very sore in the jaw and the teeth.
None of them continued to use one after a good try.
These were fitted by a dentist and not the type you buy on the Internet.
I only know of one person that has continued to use one, they were Mild OSA, it kept them going, but they made a huge effort to loose weight.
As far as I know they lost a lot of weight, but still use the MAD device. It worked for them, but they did loose a lot of weight.
They said they would have rather used a XPAP machine, but the question is would they have made the effort to loose the weight if they had?
Anyway, not seen the person for a while. Their main complaint was the pain they were in at the start of using the MAD device.

[Sleepster]

Does anyone have experience with these devices for controlling sleep apnea? Are they preferable to masks and pumps?
I have the following "gear" ---- 
AirSense 10 AutoSet CPAP Machine with HumidAir
AirFit P10 Nasal Pillow Mask

For the overwhelming majority of people, no, oral devices are not even close to providing the same level of effectiveness.

For some people they may work, but even then it's doubtful that they will work as well as CPAP. For this reason they are relegated to a secondary status, reserved for people who just can't tolerate CPAP therapy. Oral devices also don't provide data so you don't know if the therapy is effective, and you can't make adjustments to improve the effectiveness of your therapy, either.

SoClean 2 CPAP Cleaner and Sanitizer

As long as you don't use this device as a substitute for cleaning with soap and hot water, it probably can't do any harm, although it may cause some mask parts such as silicone cushions to deteriorate faster. There is no clinical evidence, though, that it offers any advantage.

[chill]

Welcome!  There are several threads discussing these, here are two:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...+Appliance
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...+Appliance

Use the search function at the bottom if you want to find more.

The machine that you have is a far, far, far better choice.

[skylark]

I used one of these devices one night. I could barely get my jaw closed or open the next morning. The pain was excruciating.

[NotADr]

I'm wary of them. Even if I could stand the pain, I would be concerned that using it might lead to TMJ issues.

[trish6hundred]

Hi BlinkyGeorgia,
You would be better served by continuing CPAP therapy.
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for more responses to your post, good luck on your CPAP journey.

[CB91710]

I used one of these devices one night. I could barely get my jaw closed or open the next morning. The pain was excruciating.

Ditto.

I tried using one for a couple of weeks.  It did not stop my snoring, I would occasionally spit it out while mouth-breathing, my wife was worried that I would aspirate it, and as time went on, the jaw issues in the morning grew worse and worse until it got to the point that I could not chew food until noon.

[Anaja09]

My late husband used a sleep dental device, and it did not really work for very long.

Once he would get up in the morning, he would have to chew on another appliance to re-align his jaw. I have TMJ, so I knew that this would not be an option for me.

If you decide to try this path, please make sure you see a dentist who specializes in these devices!

[BlinkyGeorgia]

My son swears by this kind of device. He's been using one for 1 yr plus. Some of these devices look like instruments of torture!
Thanks for your input.