The CPAP-Free, Non-surgical Way to Sleep Better (and Stop Snoring) for Good

Oral Devices: A Proven Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Oral appliances—also known as Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) are a non-invasive, custom-fitted therapy that gently holds your lower jaw forward while you sleep. This prevents your airway from collapsing and keeps oxygen flowing smoothly all night.

📌 The concept is simple: no masks, no hoses, no noise.
📌 The science is solid: FDA-cleared to treat snoring and sleep apnea.
📌 Fits like a retainer: portable, discreet, and easy to clean.

So why haven’t more people heard of them?

Because oral appliances were traditionally only available through dentists who specialize in sleep medicine. The process was expensive and challenges involved multiple visits to both medical doctors and sleep labs for a diagnosis, dental specialists for the device (and subsequent adjustments), insurance complications, and a general lack of awareness, even among physicians.

Now, you can access this FDA-cleared treatment completely from home, with physician oversight. It's custom-made in our dental labs, covered by most insurance plans, and home follow-up sleep studies are included with treatment so you know your device is working.

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your airway muscles relax too much during sleep, collapsing the airway and cutting off your breath. This often causes:

• Loud snoring
• Gasping awake
• Nighttime awakenings
• Drops in blood oxygen
• Daytime fatigue and mood issues

Oral appliances work by repositioning the lower jaw slightly forward. This:

✅ Opens the upper airway
✅ Reduces tissue vibration (snoring)
✅ Improves airflow
✅ Normalizes oxygen levels
✅ Reduces apnea events

Unlike CPAP, there's no pressurized airflow, no mask, and no machine. Just a custom-fitted device, similar to a mouthguard, that’s comfortable and easy to use so you'll stick with your treatment.

Historically, the most common method of treating OSA has been the continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP machine). CPAP therapy uses a mask, air pump, and tubing to create positive pressure in a person's airways. This steady flow of air prevents the tongue, uvula, and soft palate from moving too far into the airway, preventing snoring and sleep apnea. While CPAP machines can be highly effective, many patients can't or won't tolerate CPAP therapy: wearing a plastic mask with connecting tubes & pump every night isn't for them. Clinical research indicates that many CPAP users quit after a year, and many others decline to even start. The most common complaints about CPAP machines include the following:

• Discomfort: Getting the mask to fit exactly right is complex and can lead to discomfort. Many patients find it challenging to fall asleep as a result.
• Dry Mouth: Pressurized airflow from the pump can dry the inside of the mouth.
• Noise: Although there has been significant improvement, CPAP machines do still make noise. For some, this can be an issue.
• Cleaning: A CPAP machine requires regular cleaning to avoid mold, germs, and other contaminants that could otherwise enter a patient's lungs and make them sick.
• Travel Pains: The entire CPAP therapy setup is fairly bulky, and TSA requires any CPAP machine in a carry-on to be removed from its carrying case to undergo x-ray screening.
• Embarrassment: Some CPAP users report reluctance to bring out their entire PAP therapy setup early on in a new relationship.

Still, CPAP can be an effective treatment for many people. No treatment will work if you don't use it so pick something you have the most likelihood of sticking with. That way, you'll reap the benefits of quality of sleep.

Oral devices for sleep apnea are the treatment of choice for patients who want something more comfortable, less intrusive, and sustainable long-term.

Snoring: Clinical research indicates that oral devices are highly effective in treating snoring and improving sleep health and daytime sleepiness.

Mild Sleep Apnea (mild OSA): The American Academy of Sleep Medicine considers mandibular repositioning appliances a first-line treatment for treating mild sleep apnea.

Moderate Sleep Apnea (moderate OSA): Oral appliances have proven highly effective in treating moderate sleep apnea, and oral appliance therapy is covered by nearly all health insurance companies for treating moderate OSA.

Severe Sleep Apnea (severe OSA): A recent meta-analysis confirmed that oral devices are an effective sleep medicine tool for treating severe obstructive sleep apnea.

However, oral appliance therapy is generally considered ineffective in treating central sleep apnea (vs. obstructive sleep apnea). Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing. Central sleep apnea is much rarer than obstructed sleep apnea (OSA); studies estimate only 2% of cases are central rather than obstructive.

Although you may have seen "boil-and-bite" appliances for snoring, they are bulkier, less comfortable, and lock the patient's jaw in place without any possibility of any lateral movement or mouth opening. As a result, most patients cannot use these devices for more than a few weeks. They also aren't FDA-cleared to treat sleep apnea. So while an over-the-counter boil-and-bite snoring mouthguard can be a short-term help, over the long term, the comparison between a non-custom snoring mouthguard vs. a prescription custom oral device is no contest.

CPAP therapy has helped many—but it’s not the only option. For those who can’t tolerate the mask, tubing, or routine, oral appliances like the one offered by Daybreak provide a clinically backed, FDA-cleared alternative that’s comfortable, convenient, and discreet.

Custom-made and doctor-directed, this approach offers a real solution without CPAP or surgery. Better sleep starts with taking the first step.