The reason I originally bought this product was that it is meant to move with your jaw. I am happy to report that it does indeed do this. I had to redo the impression of my teeth as you need to have a reasonable suction for the upper and lower plates to stay in place, once they do the hinge works great to allow you to move your jaw up and down while keeping it pushed forward to provide the required space to stop the rattle of the back of your throat that causes snoring. Other anti-snoring devices try to lock your jaw into position using the suction of a close-fitting impression of your teeth. This force isn't strong enough to keep the jaw in place as it will naturally move back and down out of the device. It's not possible to clench your teeth and sleep at the same time, I'd always end up partially waking up and biting on the device to put my jaw back into the correct position knowing it'd probably just slip out of position once I'm back asleep. I also tried those head straps to keep my jaw in place, but they can only force the jaw upward and back, not upward and forward. So when you slip out of the device from the backward force it keeps your jaw there and lets the snoring commence. I did have some success with a neck brace which would stop my jaw from opening wide enough to be able to slip out of the device, so that's one to try if you haven't already. Another reason I wanted to get this product was that it looked like you'd be able to move your tongue and not have movement restricted by the device and this is happily the case. Every other anti-snoring device I've tried restricts the movement of your tongue, either it is forever pressed up against the back of the device where it can't help but investigate and block the small breathing hole or its one of those devices that try to hold the tongue in place with suction and also stop you from being able to breathe out of your mouth (the tongue is a strong and slippery beast and can easily escape such devices). The only drawbacks I have found with this device are (for me at least) I find that the sides of my mouth can get stuck behind the hinges which is a weird experience but not really uncomfortable. Also, it is a little on the expensive side, this may change in future when they sell more due to it being a superior product. Finally, I wouldn't mind some slightly longer rods to push my jaw further forward, I've been using anti-snoring devices for a long time and the biggest rod for the hinge (which comes in various sizes) wasn't quite long enough to completely get rid of my throat rattle. I highly recommend this product. Read more

Let me start out by saying that I've used at least 6 or 7 dental appliances over the year as I've suffered with sleep apnea and can't stand the CPAP. That being said, I have to say this one had to be the worst design I've ever seen. They include these cheap little connectors/adjusters that once you click into position, you can't get them back out easily, if you want to adjust to another length. I started out with one length and wanted to adjust the length a bit and it literally took me 20 minutes just to finally pull out the current connectors/adjusters to replace with the longer pair. Then it wasn't until that night when I went to use them that I noticed that those connectors/adjusters don't accomplish much as my mouth pretty much forced the appliance back into my normal mouth position. On top of that, they put only a thin layer of the silicone mold for your teeth, so once you bite down, your teeth are sitting on hard plastic. Let's just say I woke up with sore teeth. With so many other dental appliances out there (close in price range I might add) that make the appliance one solid unit and don't make you try and assemble together with cheap plastic connectors that are useless, I'd never buy this one again. It's so cheaply made, and you can tell they've cut corners to make this device. Don't fall for it. Read more

I first used a MAS eleven years ago when my obstructive sleep apnoea was confirmed. I stopped using it because it failed to control my OSA, and the splint prevented me from side sleeping (which had been my lifelong treatment). I am now using CPAP but bilateral rotator cuff tears have made side sleeping difficult and I tend to roll out of the lateral position - obstruct and be wakened by the full face mask leaking. This MAS was easy to mould, the combined thermoplastic keeps it shape. The side bars that link the two splints are not too uncomfortable for side sleeping and have not produced any ulceration (but I do use a special pillow with a hollowed area for my mandible). Using the splint has reduced the frequency of being woken due to obstruction, but not eliminated the problem. My only concern is that the splint only covers the first molar, and while it may not need to be lengthened for my remaining two, covering the second molar for everyone would provide a better fit. I have been using the splint now for two months with 3mm of prognathism. Read more

Not easy to use and not a comfortable feeling Read more

I first tried a more expensive ($120) adjustable mandibular advancement device (MAD), one not sold on Amazon. As soon as I put it into my mouth, it became clear that there would be severe problems with my use of it. Thus I searched Amazon for a device that addressed those problems. I found the SmartGuard and I have used it for just over a month. I am extremely happy with it and I expect to gladly replace it several times a year. I hope that it remains available! I offer these comments in the hope that they will help someone else choose an effective MAD for themselves. In my opinion, the SmartGuard has a unique set of features that address many of the problems with other MADs. First, it is assembled by the user from two separate pieces, a top tray and a bottom tray. The retainers for the upper and lower teeth are thus molded to your teeth separately, so that each can fit the teeth more precisely. This system actually works, especially for those of us with an overbite. I find that the resulting fit to my teeth is very secure. On the other hand, devices which require the upper and lower to be molded at the same time require you to align your teeth vertically during the molding process. For those of us with an overbite, this means you are molding while attempting to hold your jaw in a very unnatural position, making it difficult to get a good mold. Additionally, because there are two separate pieces, the whole assembly can be kept relatively small. In other words, it does not fill your mouth, and that fact allows you to keep your mouth closed while sleeping. Yet you can also open your mouth when needed. These were important criteria in my search. The separation of the upper and lower trays also allows the adjustment of the size of the arch of the upper tray to better fit your teeth. This was not one of my criteria, but it seems like it could help some people. Secondly, it is adjustable for the relative position of the lower jaw with respect to the upper teeth. In the SmartGuard, this adjustment was designed while keeping people with overbite in mind -- that is, the device can be set up with the lower piece not as far forward as the upper piece. This was the most important criterion for my particular search, as I do have an overbite, and where the furthest back position of the first device I tried forced my jaw into a very uncomfortable, too far forward, position. There are some things to be aware of about the SmartGuard: Because the upper and lower trays are molded to your teeth separately, it is important to pay attention to the alignment of each tray to your teeth. The trays each have an alignment notch that is meant to be centered on the middle of your teeth during molding. I suspect that some of the people who have found this device to be uncomfortable have not correctly aligned the trays with their teeth during molding. I know that happened to me the first time I molded it. If the alignment between upper and lower trays is not correct, the device cannot be expected to work properly. It is important to make sure that the soft parts of the upper and lower trays do not contact each other during the molding process. If they do, they will stick together. This is not mentioned in the instructions. While it is easy to assemble the device, it tends to be difficult to disassemble it to change the length of the bars. The instructions advise removing the bars from the lower tray first, and I have found that to be good advice. Read more