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Anti-snoring treatments

If your partner's a heavy snorer, you'll know what a misery it can be. Snoring can affect the health of the snorer too. In some cases it is connected with sleep apnoea, in which the sufferer actually stops breathing for a time; the result can be constant daytime drowsiness and extra strain on the heart.

Now there's a system designed to help you stop snoring: the Silensor - available from us here at Gentle Dental.

What causes snoring?

When your throat muscles relax in sleep, they are less effective in holding open your breathing passages. The soft sides of the airway tend to close in and the air has to move faster through a smaller space.

This causes vibrations of the soft tissues which generate the noise of snoring,

The Silensor uses a pair of custom made plastic mouldings , shaped to fit your teeth, which you slip into your mouth at bedtime. The top and bottom sections are connected at the sides by short plastic links, which have the effect of pulling your lower jaw forward. This is turn holds the airways open, reducing the constriction that causes the snoring.

How comfortable is it?

At first, you may experience some stiffness of your jaw when you wake up. It generally takes a few days until you become accustomed to wearing the appliance.