I am a 25yr old female with moderate sleep apnoea (on the higher end of moderate, but due to hypopnoeas only) and I have tried CPAP over 6 months unsuccessfully, different machines, pressure etc. Not going back there!

I was advised to get a MAS, I consulted with an orthodontist in this field. He has his own version of a MAS, it does not advance the jaw as much as the other MAS' and does not allow mouth opening; which was agreed would be best for my sleep apnoea.

Now the first fitting came back and I was unable to close my teeth around the splint and "lock" it into place. I could lock it in on the top row and bottom row, individually, but when it came to locking in both upper and lower the MAS was not lined up correctly, so I was unable to use it properly. The lab where it was sent off to be made, made some mistake so it was sent away to get fixed. However when I did manage to click it on my teeth it instantly hurt my teeth a lot, like it felt like this awful pressure on each individual tooth and it felt like they were all going to snap off! I explained this sensation to my dentist and was told it was normal, however I am not so sure and now I am wondering if I should seek a MAS elsewhere. I have no fillings and straight teeth, so I don’t want to damage them with this thing. I am supposed to be picking up the fixed MAS tomorrow.

Is it normal for this thing to hurt so much the very first time you put it in your mouth? Also, I am a mouth breather, due to chronic sinus problems. The dentist mentioned an option of drilling a breathing hole in the front of the MAS, although he didn't sound very keen to do this.

I have done some research on other MAS, like somnodent and Tap III. I am thinking maybe the TAP III would be better, but does it hurt the teeth also at first?

I have the splint, it is still not fixed. It will click onto bottom and top row of teeth separately, but when clicking them both down into place, only the back row of top teeth will click in, the four teeth at the front top row will not click in. I woke up several times throughout the night with my teeth in intense pain and the splint only connected to the lower teeth. I kept waking to hear this loud bang sound, each time the splint clicked off the teeth. It is not holding and I want to get a refund and go someone else who makes a Tap III or similar! The dentist even admitted it didn't fit well but said it was a matter of getting use to it. I can't get use to it if the mould was not done correctly and I can’t close my teeth on it. Having the splint in my mouth is not the issue; the issue is it is not moulded properly at all.

Somnodent MAS hurts a little, it should not hurt each individual tooth, just a few of them, and its adjustable so you can make it more comfortable but you may not get the full benefit.

I've had some success with it, more than CPAP but it has not completely solved my issue.

Cristella- I was just in today to get  my TAP III, but I cannot move my jaw forward enough to lock, so they have to send it back to the lab, That does not answer your question about comfort, and I obviously don't have much experience. But in the 10 minutes I had the TAPIII in my mouth it was not at all uncomfortable, so if what you have is, that does not seem right.
Sharon