A combination appliance may perform two or more of these functions at the same time. Dental appliance therapy is not a new idea. It was in use as far back as the early 1900's, but it was not until the 1980's that physicians and dentists began to work together to study and develop this alternative form of treatment enabling more patients to benefit from it. The appliance weighs only a couple of ounces, and its small size makes it easy to travel with. Most people find it takes no more than a few weeks to become completely comfortable wearing the appliance.
Dental appliances are relatively inexpensive.
The total cost of therapy is considerable less than the cost of alternative treatments. If you snore heavily and are interested in trying dental appliance therapy, it's very important that you are thoroughly examined by a physician or a sleep specialist first. The examination may involve staying overnight at a sleep study center. It's important that this examination is done first, because you may have sleep apnea without realizing it. In a study conducted at Stanford University in California, one out of three chronic, severe snorers were found to have a harmful degree of sleep apnea.