04. Oral Occlusal Orthotics
Effective breathing is key during sleep and it's possible you may have structural issues in your head, nose and/or throat or even below which are negatively impacting your ability to breathe. These include:
Your nasal passages are too narrow making it challenging to get adequate air in and out
- Reasons for this include the following below. You may use your testing technique to determine if any of these apply to you.
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- Your palate is too narrow. Chronic mouth breathing feeds into this developmental pattern. To learn more about why we develop narrow faces read here.
- You have enlarged turbinates or polyps in your nasal cavity reducing the flow of air here.
- You have increased neuromuscular tension in your head, neck and/or below which closes down your airway.
- You have sinus congestion due to underlying toxins and/or pathogens.
- Or some or all of the above as they tend to contribute to each other.
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Your oropharangeal airway is being occluded
- If you are mouth breathing during sleep, there is a tendency for your jaw and thus tongue to slide back into your throat which can potentially occlude your airway. This may happen more if you sleep on your back. Furthermore, if your palate is too narrow, your tongue can have a difficult time posturing on the roof of your mouth (preferred place where your tongue should naturally rest) making it more likely to mouth breathe. This fosters a pattern of the tongue sliding back into the throat occluding the airway.
Your airway is collapsing
- If you are mouth breathing during sleep it disrupts the pressure relationship within your airway making it more likely for your airway to collapse.
- If you are not appropriately using your diaphragm and abdominals to breathe this can also affect the air pressure in your airway making it more prone to collapse.
- Malocclusion creates increased neuromuscular tension in your head, neck and jaw and even below to your rib cage, pelvis and feet. This can also make your airway prone to collapse.
When there are structural issues at play that are negatively impacting your breathing and thus sleep, the dental profession has many solutions (besides the traditional C-PAP option that the medical professional will routinely prescribe). ENTs can also help in this department if enlarged polyps and turbinates are at play. Performing specific postural restoration and orofacial myofunctional therapy techniques can address neuromuscular tension issues as well as poor patterns related to chewing, swallowing, tongue posture and breathing.
If your bite is off and you have malocclusion, this can cause increased tension in your neuromuscular system. Since your airway is composed of muscle, imbalances in your bite can negatively impact the patency of your airway. Therefore, an occlusal orthotic (otherwise called a “mouth guard,” “oral splint” or “bite plate”) may be what you need.
If you are an oral occlusal orthotic candidate:
It is recommended to have a lower (mandibular) appliance vs an upper (maxillary) appliance.
- Upper (maxillary) appliances tend to lock up the bones of the head and neck. This is because the palate is meant to subtly shift which is not permitted as an upper appliance restricts this motion.
Hard acrylic material is preferred over soft material so that it best mimics teeth hardness.
- This makes it less likely to be chewed.
What is not recommended
- We do not recommend any type of oral appliance that only has your front teeth in contact such as an NTI. This type of appliance may reduce tension in your jaw but creates neck tension.
Lower Jaw/Mandibular Oral Occlusal Orthotic Options:
Browse the following 3 options or use your testing technique to determine if any pertain to you.
1. Gelb style lower jaw/mandibular othotic
- A Gelb style lower jaw/mandibular appliance covers only your molars.
- Pros: Easier to wear and talk with during the day as it is less bulky. Is generally thinner than a full coverage splint which can make it easier for you to keep your lips closed.
- Con: With extended use, your molars that are in contact with the splint may intrude and become lower which can negatively alter your bite. It is recommended to not use this type of appliance full time for more than 3 months and to not eat with the appliance. After 3 months of full time wear you may use it for sleep and a few hours during the day which should prevent any intrusion.
- When receiving this appliance your dentist should use contact paper to make sure it is appropriately balanced and equilibrated for you.
2. Full coverage lower jaw/mandibular orthotic
- A full coverage lower jaw/mandibular oral orthotic covers all your lower teeth.
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- Pros: Reflects more of a natural bite with full contact. Does not result in intrusion or extrusion of your bite (teeth getting taller or shorter).
- Cons: Harder to wear and talk with during the day. Is usually thicker than the Gelb style which can make it harder to close your lips.
- We strongly recommend that the features of this splint have:
- Light anterior guidance where you are able to achieve light contact with your front teeth.
- Canine guidance so that when you move your jaw side to side you are able to contact your canine teeth.
- Balanced molar contact upon closure. Your dentist should use contact paper to make sure your contact points are balanced.
3. What is not recommended
- We do not recommend any type of oral appliance that only has your front teeth in contact such as an NTI. This type of appliance may reduce tension in your jaw but creates neck tension.
There are many other structural solutions to breathing and sleep problems.
Browse the following 8 options or use your testing technique to determine if any pertain to you.
Sleep issues can be rooted in physiological and emotional problems.
Browse the following 2 options or use your testing technique to determine if any pertain to you.
Enjoy these other related Master Guide items to Resonate Health:
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This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your medical doctor or professional if you have medical concerns.
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