It may sound a little frightening or intimidating, but an oral appliance to stop snoring can go a long way toward letting you finally get a good night's sleep.  When your snoring is caused by a poor sleeping position or by the alignment of your jaw when you sleep, then an oral appliance to stop snoring may be the key to fixing your problem.  They may also work by forcing air into your mouth and nose when you sleep.  But what are these products and exactly how do they work?

 When talking about an oral appliance to stop snoring, usually you're referring to a mouthpiece that is similar to what athletes wear but which works by thrusting your jaw into proper alignment so that it doesn't fall open when you sleep.  These types of oral appliances to stop snoring need to be fitted to you personally, typically by your dentist.  He or she will take a mold of your mouth and test if your jaw is really out of alignment.  This mold will serve to make the appliance for you and you alone.

 You may be wondering if it's very comfortable to use this type of oral appliance to stop snoring.  While some people report that it took some getting used to during the first few days, most patients report that these devices really don't interfere with their comfort level at all.  If they did, how would that help you?  You're able to sleep because you're not snoring but can't sleep because of your oral appliance to stop snoring - that would make no sense at all.  These appliances are made of a very soft material that is firm enough to keep your jaw in place but soft enough to allow you to get to sleep.

 Another type of oral appliance to stop snoring is a type of oxygen mask that fits over your nose and mouth and which is connected to a machine that forces air into your nose.  By doing this, you are not going to be breathing through your mouth and will be snoring much less.  This type of oral appliance to stop snoring is also used by persons with sleep apnea, a dangerous condition where you stop breathing for a few seconds many times throughout the night.  They are uncomfortable, expensive, and usually used only by those who have exhausted all other options.