CPAP users can be left frustrated with the inability to find a mask suitable for their specific facial features or with the inevitable sound produced by the air pump. Travelling with a CPAP can be cumbersome too, with airport security problems, having to bring extension cords, wall plug adapters, spares and so on.

CPAP Frustrations

Other CPAP users just cannot tolerate the dry air or the claustrophobic experience of a mask whereas others find it is their partner who cannot get used to the machine, hose and mask. All in all, there are plenty of valid reasons for sleep apnoea sufferers to give up using a CPAP machine after having made a significant effort to make it work for them for a number of months.

CPAP compliance is quoted in the region of 70-80% at most so it is safe to say one in five drop off with most of them ending up untreated. Untreated obstructive sleep apnoea can lead to a magnitude of health problems so patients will be glad to know they can finally get a clinically validated CPAP alternative.

Oral appliance therapy with custom fit devices such as the SomnoDent MAS is safe for patients with mild or moderate sleep apnoea, those with upper airway resistance syndrome and those who simply snore. Severe sleep apnoea sufferers, if unsuccessful with positive airway pressure therapy, may also benefit from the SomnoDent MAS, provided they can be closely monitored to verify the majority of apnoea events have been prevented.

SomnoDent MAS: CPAP Alternative

As an excellent CPAP alternative available here in the UK, a SomnoDent mandibular advancement splint brings its user many benefits:

• No hose to wrap around the patient's arm or neck
• No skin irritation due to the mask or headgear rubbing throughout the night
• No wooshing sound of a CPAP
• No partner discomfort due to air blowing, noise, tubes etc.
• No problems at the airport security checkpoint
• No problem with long haul flights
• No issues with different voltages abroad
• No elephant or darth vader jokes when sharing rooms on trips
• No annual mask replacements
• No repeated trips to the clinic for trying different masks
• No nasal or mouth irritation from dry or cold air blowing in
• No need for panic during a power outage
• No messed up hair due to head straps

Benefits over CPAP

CPAP is of course a great solution and those who tolerate it well, love it. But with the SomnoDent MAS as an alternative to their CPAP, the patient experiences many significant benefits:

• Free to open and close the mouth
• Able to speak almost normally
• Can drink whilst wearing the splint
• Full lip-seal
  
• Custom fitted exactly to the patient's teeth
• Easy to carry
• Lasts for years
• Easy to maintain
• Can sleep on the side, front or back
• Comfortable to wear due to minimal bulk and precision engineering
• Adjustable by dentist and patient
• 1 + 1 year warranty
• Discreet
• Fitted by a trained and certified dentist
• Costs less than a pound per night

All that is required to be fitted with a SomnoDent MAS is a diagnosis with an indication of severity of obstructive sleep apnoea. Anyone on CPAP would have this already and if a diagnosis was done recently or circumstances have not changed, a sleep study does not necessarily have to be repeated. For those who cannot get on with their CPAP or who simply do not want a CPAP machine and mask, the SomnoDent MAS is a fantastic alternative.

A SomnoDent MAS does not have to replace the CPAP, they can be used one after the other, as and when the patient desires. Whether it is used as the primary, secondary or only means of therapy, the SomnoDent MAS makes for the ideal CPAP alternative.

Why Doctors Recommend SomnoDent as a CPAP Alternative

CPAP therapy non-compliance is no longer a big issue for sleep apnoea sufferers and doctors can be confident about prescribing their patients a SomnoDent MAS. What doctors like about the SomnoDent MAS:

• It is safe and effective
• It is clinically validated
• It is suitable for snoring, UARS and OSA
• Compliance and acceptance is unrivaled
• Less clinical time required due to fewer follow-ups necessary
• The splint is ISO certified
• The SomnoDent oral appliance is FDA approved for both snoring and OSA
• Each splint is CE approved
• Its materials are of the highest medical standards
• Fewer patient problems equals fewer headaches for sleep clinic staff!