I believe Regence (formerly Uniform Medical) does not require that I try CPAP before trying an oral appliance.
nasal dilators are inexpensive, many varieties; worth trying serveal. I like Nosovent.
XYLITOL IS LETHAL TO DOGS. Keep it securely out of reach! xylitol binds the canine glucose receptor irreversibly, and they go into insulin shock. Snack food bags are another lethal canine hazard: preventpetsuffocation.com
Newbie. My question: which to try first, CPAP or MAD? The simplicity of MADs is attractive because I travel, including wilderness backpacking. 65 y.o. recently diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSA at Harborview Sleep Cetner in Seattle. They want me to get a CPAP/APAP, but also gave me a referral to a specialty dentist at U.W. Dental School who happens to be just down the hall from the lab where I work. So I have access to a major sleep center and a specialty dentist with expertise with MADs -- I've had an introductory chat with them. I have insurance, and expense may be comparable because the dental people are not in my provider network; the CPAP people are.
Also, I wear Invisalign-type orthodontic retainers (those molded plastic sleeves) at night; anybody know if I can expect a good MAD to perform the same function (keeping my teeth in place)?
If nasal obstruction due to narrow nostrils is involved, try nasal dilators. See my recent post. I never leave home without them.
If you have nasal obstruction due to narrow nostrils: I've had nasal obstruction all my life mostly because of narrow/partly collapsed nostrils, esp. the right. If you have this, nasal dilators can be LIFE-CHANGING. No exaggeration. I had a difficult nose job to open them more when I was about 40. The surgeon took a piece of cartilage out of my ear and used that to prop the nostril open (he said he liked a challenge; expected to spend an hour on it; he took 4). I'd say about 75% improvement. VERY pleased. Still, I always use a nasal dilator, and always have spares. There are many kinds. I don't use the Breathe-Right adhesive strips on the outside, but they're worth a try. There are many kinds, shop online, they're inexpensive, some don't work for me. Some are almost invisible when you wear them. Basically a plastic spring that spreads the nostrils. Low-tech, elegant devices. I think I was a mouth-breather all through my childhood, youth, early adulthood. I tried to invent these things myself: I took sections of Bic pen barrels and wide drinking straws and tried to prop my nostrils open with them. I believe my life would have been different if I'd had these back then.
