Yes. Each one is custom-made for your mouth, so it seats securely without pressure points. Most patients find it far easier to live with than a mask.
Sleep Apnea & Snoring Appliances
Sleep Appliances Without CPAP
A custom appliance holds your lower jaw forward so the airway stays open all night. Fitted by Dr. Charles Ferzli for patients across Raleigh, Cary and Durham, NC.
TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Raleigh-Durham
What a Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard Does
A sleep appliance — sometimes called a snore guard — advances the lower jaw and tongue so the airway stays open. It treats obstructive sleep apnea and chronic snoring with no mask, no hose and no machine beside the bed.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s clinical practice guideline recommends oral appliance therapy for adults who cannot tolerate CPAP. The design we fit most often is a mandibular advancement device.
If your problem is jaw pain rather than breathing, that is a different device — see oral appliances for TMJ.
When To Seek This Treatment
Loud Snoring
Nightly snoring that disrupts your own sleep or your partner’s rest.
Daytime Fatigue
Ongoing tiredness despite spending a full night in bed.
Breathing Pauses at Night
Waking up gasping, choking, or with disrupted breathing.
CPAP Intolerance
Difficulty using a CPAP machine because of discomfort or inconvenience.
Our Non-Surgical Approach
Plenty of patients quietly abandon CPAP because the equipment is bulky, noisy and awkward to travel with. An appliance treats the same airway from inside the mouth, and pairs with myofunctional therapy when weak tongue muscles drive the collapse.
Custom Fit
Crafted from a digital scan of your own bite for comfort and accuracy.
Airway Support
Holds the airway open through the night, reducing apnea events.
Discreet and Comfortable
Compact enough to wear nightly and simple to travel with.
Proven Results
Reduces snoring, deepens sleep and restores daytime energy.
Our Approach
Why Choose Us?
Sleep appliance therapy is one of the specialized services we provide at the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Raleigh-Durham. Our focus is on identifying the root causes behind your symptoms and delivering safe, non-surgical solutions that support long-term health and comfort.
Your First Step Toward Relief Starts Here
Start with a Simple TMJ and Sleep Screening
Do You Have TMJ?
Take our quick 2-minute assessment to find out if your symptoms may be related to TMJ disorder.
Take TMJ Quiz
Sleep Apnea Risk?
Discover if your snoring, fatigue, or restless sleep could indicate sleep apnea with this brief screening.
Take Sleep Quiz
Our Commitment
Sleep Peacefully Again with a Custom Appliance
You don’t have to live with the discomfort of CPAP or the dangers of untreated sleep apnea. At the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Raleigh-Durham, a custom sleep appliance is a safe, comfortable route back to healthy sleep. Schedule your consultation today.
(919) 323-4242 Message UsSleep Appliance Questions
Very effective for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, and for snoring at any severity. Treating apnea also eases the strain breathing pauses put on the heart.
Many patients use an appliance instead. For severe apnea the two can be combined, and we coordinate with your sleep physician on what your diagnosis supports.
Once your digital scan is taken, the appliance is usually ready in two to four weeks. We then fine-tune the advancement at follow-up visits.