I got fitted with an oral appliance for my apnea last year, and it's been working very well. The only problem is that when I get up each morning, my bite has shifted so much that I don't have a normal overbite. Instead, my top teeth come down straight onto my bottom teeth at the front of my mouth. My dentist gave me a 'bite tab', which he claims is supposed to realign the bite within 5 minutes.

Yeah, not so much. I end up biting on this tab for 2-3 hours each morning, and sadly, my bite doesn't go back into full alignment until -- wait for it -- the time I have to go to bed! And then the whole process starts all over again.

Does anybody have any advice on a way to solve this issue? I really want to stick with the oral appliance.

Thanks!

Steve

your doctor again, and explain the problem or look for a second opinion, maybe somebody else knows better how to solve the problem; also, i would like to ask you, do you suffer from severe obstructive sleep apnea or not when you had your oral appliance done? my insurance says that does not cover oral appliance; i have read that some people says that it depends on what code the doctors write on the prescription, then the insurance will decide to pay for it or not; how did you get yours and what kind of insurance do you have, if it is not too much to ask.

Hey Melhajj... Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I had mentioned the problem to my dentist (he specializes in oral appliances -- he actually has apnea himself and uses one), and he didn't have much advice to give me. He provided me with a slightly wider rubber tab to bite down on in the morning, but it hasn't made any difference.

My insurance company is Great West Life, and so far they've been shuffling their feet on the issue of reimbursing me. The device cost me $1500, and I don't expect to see that money back from them. But I'll still be providing them with some extra information to try and sway their opinion, for what it's worth. I'd be curious to know about this mythical code that's so powerful, it can convince a cheap, heartless insurance company to pay for such a device. Haha. That would be great for sure. Amusing that they'll shell out $500 a year for me to get acupuncture or massages, yet likely won't spend a dime on a mouth guard that's saving my life.  I have moderate apnea, and the device is working wonders. When I was tested at a sleep clinic while using it, my results were the same as someone without apnea.

dyaboliko wrote:

I got fitted with an oral appliance for my apnea last year, and it's been working very well. The only problem is that when I get up each morning, my bite has shifted so much that I don't have a normal overbite. Instead, my top teeth come down straight onto my bottom teeth at the front of my mouth. My dentist gave me a 'bite tab', which he claims is supposed to realign the bite within 5 minutes.

Yeah, not so much. I end up biting on this tab for 2-3 hours each morning, and sadly, my bite doesn't go back into full alignment until -- wait for it -- the time I have to go to bed! And then the whole process starts all over again.

Does anybody have any advice on a way to solve this issue? I really want to stick with the oral appliance.

Thanks!

Steve

Steve,

I have the same problem.  I am using a TAPII appliance.  The treatment has not been effective for me, and my bite is out of line now.  So, I've switched to CPAP and I've got to find someone who can help me get my teeth lined up again.  It's frustrating.  The CPAP seems to work better though.  

Good luck,

JL

dyaboliko wrote:

Hey Melhajj... Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I had mentioned the problem to my dentist (he specializes in oral appliances -- he actually has apnea himself and uses one), and he didn't have much advice to give me. He provided me with a slightly wider rubber tab to bite down on in the morning, but it hasn't made any difference.

My insurance company is Great West Life, and so far they've been shuffling their feet on the issue of reimbursing me. The device cost me $1500, and I don't expect to see that money back from them. But I'll still be providing them with some extra information to try and sway their opinion, for what it's worth. I'd be curious to know about this mythical code that's so powerful, it can convince a cheap, heartless insurance company to pay for such a device. Haha. That would be great for sure. Amusing that they'll shell out $500 a year for me to get acupuncture or massages, yet likely won't spend a dime on a mouth guard that's saving my life.  I have moderate apnea, and the device is working wonders. When I was tested at a sleep clinic while using it, my results were the same as someone without apnea.

How do you feel now?  Any different?  

By the way, my dentist said that he has sleep apnea and uses one of those devices.  Is your dentist in Maryland perhaps?

Hey JL,

Thanks for the info. So you're saying that the appliance has actually permanently messed up your bite? If that's the case, wow. What a drag. You'd figure you could have some legal recourse there. Somehow I doubt the literature that came with the TAPII made any reference to such a possibility.

My dentist is based out of Toronto, where I live. Interesting though that your dentist uses the appliance too.

dyaboliko wrote:

Hey JL,

Thanks for the info. So you're saying that the appliance has actually permanently messed up your bite? If that's the case, wow. What a drag. You'd figure you could have some legal recourse there. Somehow I doubt the literature that came with the TAPII made any reference to such a possibility.

My dentist is based out of Toronto, where I live. Interesting though that your dentist uses the appliance too.

I doubt that there's legal anything now, or anything that I have the patience for right now.  My dentist told me up front that this is a possibility.  I just didn't know that the change in bite would be long-term.  I have confirmed that my teeth have not moved out of place.  It is the jaw/mandible that is messed up.  Now I need to find a doctor to change this.  Any recommendations for who I can go to see?

I'd recommend checking out this web site, JL.

http://www.aaoms.org/

Hopefully you won't rule out litigation, especially if you need to have surgery done. I bet you they'd settle before it ever went to trial. And no doubt there are a zillion lawyers out there who'd jump at the chance.