Comments on: Pure Sleep works

By: Scott Allan

Scott Allan — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:18:56 +0000

Done and thanks for the info!

By: Art

Art — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:29:31 +0000

Oops, I didn’t mean for all those font callouts to copy. I had to compose in Word after I lost my first message. Scott, perhaps you can edit out the garbage I included by mistake. Sorry!

By: Art

Art — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:27:44 +0000

Ouch, I lost my post. I’ll try to reconstruct it.
Scott, I got my first bite positioner in 1994 from Dr Glenn Clark, who was on the UCLA Dental School faculty at that time. He was a pioneer in treating sleep apnea this way, and I paid $300. After 8 years, I had worn out the appliance (due to biting it during sleep, I think). Clark had retired from UCLA but was consulting with Dr Ivan Lapidus, who built me a new one for about $450. Eventually, I wore out the new one, and I was living in Michigan by then. I had the devil of a time finding a dentist in Michigan who understood this stuff, and I eventually found one for the princely sum of $1200.
Why are these appliances so expensive? They have hard plastic parts molded to exactly fit your teeth, much stiffer than the flexible-feeling Pure Sleep material. Embedded in the plastic is a stainless steel structure which has metal clips which grab onto your teeth. The upper and lower parts are held together with a stainless steel hinge whose underbite is adjustable by adding or subtracting tiny stainless steel cylindrical spacers. This device (technically called a Herbst appliance, I think) grabs your teeth really tight. The hinge allows you to open your mouth, and shift your jaw back and forth, without the device coming loose, and while still maintaining your chosen bite position as you sleep. It’s easy to take off in the morning, when you just snap it off. The fit is hand-adjusted by the dentist, using a Dremel-type drill to remove material, and a collodion solution to add material. So there’s a lot of hand work in the thing. If you get a root canal or similar major tooth work done, you need to have the fit checked and adjusted to make sure it still fits tightly enough to stay on, but not so tightly that your jaw aches.
I agree that this is rather expensive. But I find that these things last for at least 5 years, perhaps 10. And for me, there’s not much choice. I have had laser surgery and septoplasty, and don’t have a weight problem, but when I sleep flat without an appliance, I stop breathing 75 times an hour, and I am oxygen deprived that much of the time. This is really scary, and would eventually give me serious medical problems. So I gotta do something. CPAP makes my throat sore and I hate it. So a sleeping wedge plus some kind of bite positioner is the only solution I have found. Unfortunately my mouth opens when I sleep, so the Pure Sleep device doesn’t stay in position for me, and I have to use the expensive approach instead. However - what does a CPAP cost? What does dental work in general cost? It’s all way up there!

By: Scott Allan

Scott Allan — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:07:37 +0000

Good grief Art! Did your dentist make your appliance out of gold?? I think you need a new dentist. Most people could not afford to do that on a regular basis.

By: Art

Art — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:07:30 +0000

An update: I’ve been using a $1200 bite positioner from a dentist which, with a wedge pillow, completely controls my obstructive sleep apnea. I bought a Pure Sleep so I would have a backup, since my dental appliance is beginning to show its age (the screws loosen up and I have to watch to make sure not to lose them).
Unfortunately, the Pure Sleep didn’t work for me. When I fall asleep, my jaw drops open, the Pure Sleep comes loose from my upper teeth, and my jaw goes back into a snoring position. My dental appliance doesn’t do this because it grabs the teeth securely, unlike Pure Sleep.
I called Pure Sleep and they said, well, if you’re a person who tends to sleep with your mouth open, Pure Sleep won’t work for you, because it will come unseated. (Too bad they didn’t give that warning on their website!) So, at their suggestion, I returned the Pure Sleep and they refunded all my money plus $1.50 to cover my return postage. So I really can’t complain - I gave it a try, and it doesn’t work for me. I have to stick with the expensive approach.

By: Scott Allan

Scott Allan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:56:41 +0000

Good luck, Chris. Sometimes getting the bed to yourself isn’t such a bad thing though!

By: Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:59:51 +0000

OK…..So I’m going to give the Pure Sleep device a go!! I snore so bad, no one will room with me during my son’s travel hockey games. They agree with my wife, I don’t snore, it’s actually a noise that is indescribable. My wife has put up with my snoring for over 23 years, so time to do something….I’ll let you know. Thanks for all the good info here…..Chris

By: Dentist Birmingham

Dentist Birmingham — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:03:22 +0000

I think people need to be lot matured..

By: Damon

Damon — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:44:39 +0000

Works great bought two dog ate one, using the same one for a year or so, takes a good couple weeks of get used to wearing it. Wife said works very well, now ready to buy a couple more. Take you time fitting read instructions and follow. And please people I know money maybe tight but some things are well worth it.

By: saucy

saucy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:52:44 +0000

I really like hot pizza