Why choose SomnoGuard products?
Most of the mouthguards available worldwide fall into one of two categories. They are either:
(a)
cheap single-piece mouthguards which cannot be adjusted, or
(b) expensive custom-made designs allowing full adjustment.
The SomnoGuard AP is unique in that it has the best features of both the cheap mouthguards and the custom-made mouthguards.
Pros and cons of custom-made splints
Custom-made splints typically cost between $600 and $1500. To make them, a dentist takes an impression of the user's teeth, and sends the impression to a dental lab to make the hard plastic mouthguard. The dentist then needs to trim the mouthguard to fit exactly right onto the teeth. The whole process can take several appointments with the dentist.
The main advantage of the custom-made splints is that the jaw position can be adjusted after the mouthguard has been fabricated. Secondly, the hard plastic material should last between three and five years. Finally, the custom-made mouthguards are usually less bulky in the mouth.
There are two potential disadvantages with the custom-made splints. First, the cost, since mouthguards of any design are not guaranteed to resolve snoring. The clinical studies performed on mouthguards worldwide generally indicate a success rate between 65% and 80%, depending on the standards for success which are applied in the different studies. Given this fact, many people are not willing to spend a lot of money on what could become a plastic paper weight!
The second disadvantage with the custom-made splints is that if any dental work is carried out after the splint is moulded (e.g. caps or even fillings), then the mouthguard will probably need to be filed down by the dentist in order to make it fit properly over the new dental work. This modification may not be completely successful so a new impression and a new splint may be required.
SomnoGuard AP: a uniquely clever design
The SomnoGuard AP has the best features of both common types of mouthguards. It is an inexpensive mouthguard design that can both:
- be easily adjusted after moulding to vary the jaw position
- be remoulded several times if necessary
The two parts of the SomnoGuard AP are constructed of a hard shell containing a thermoplastic material which gets soft when heated up. This means that the user of the mouthguard can mould it themselves if necessary, to achieve an improved fit. This may be required in the initial fitting, and may also be done following any significant dental work that may occur in the future.
The SomnoGuard AP can be adjusted to vary the jaw position:
The jaw can be advanced or retracted by adjusting the screw which links together the top and bottom sections of the mouthguard.
SomnoGuard 1.0 and 2.0: choice of thickness
While the SomnoGuard 1.0 mouthguard is suitable for most people, some people may find that their molar teeth do not make enough contact with the mouthguard material between the molars.
In this case the SomnoGuard 2.0 is recommended, as it has a 3-mm thicker biting plate in the molar area, to ensure that the molar teeth get a good grip on the mouthguard.The SomnoGuard 1.0 compared to SomnoGuard 2.0:
More reasons for confidence in the SomnoGuard products
The classic SomnoGuard was developed by a German medical company called Tomed in cooperation with a German doctor from a university hospital. The SomnoGuard design is similar to the American SnorBan design, which was in use in Germany before the SomnoGuard was developed.
With the permission of the SnorBan manufacturer, Tomed made the following improvements which are present in the SomnoGuard single-piece designs:
- added an emergency breathing hole in the front of the splint (the SnorBan does not have a breathing hole)
- increased the thickness of the biting plate in response to doctors' concerns that users were biting through the SnorBan mouthguard
- raised the height of the side walls to help the mouthguard stay in place during the night
- used a more durable thermoplastic material for longer life.
High quality products
The SomnoGuard manufacturer, Tomed, is a company committed to high product quality and customer satisfaction. They have demonstrated the effectiveness of their products through clinical trials, and continue to bring out new designs.
Approved for sale as medical devices
The SomnoGuard products are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration under ARTG number 136620, for sale in Australia for the treatment of snoring.
Tomed's entire series of oral appliances received FDA 510(k) approval in the USA, under the clearance no. K061688.