Your doctor prescribed you a protrusion splint against your snoring? Then this article is the right one for you.
We will inform you about what exactly a protrusion splint is and how it works. In addition to further background knowledge on the subject of snoring and sleep apnea, we will also clarify one of the most interesting questions: How much does the snoring splint cost and is it covered by health insurance?
Oh, and did you know that you can easily do an apnea test at home? Continue reading and be surprised by interesting facts!
Why do we snore?
Many people sleep poorly and snore when they have a cold. This is because their airways are constricted during this time and they cannot breathe through their nose. Narrowed airways are also the most common reason for snoring in a cold season.
In healthy people, the process then has nothing to do with the nose, but with the tongue. Often, our tongue muscles relax so much during the night that the tongue then slips into the throat. This makes it harder to breathe and we start snoring. Do you prefer to sleep on your back? This sleeping position is often conducive to snoring.
Snoring can also be congenital
For some people, snoring also comes from anatomical conditions they were born with. These include a deformed nasal septum, a malpositioned jaw, or enlarged pharyngeal tonsils. These causes also often lead to snoring in children. In adults, snoring can also be detected after drinking alcohol. Likewise, smokers and people who are overweight in particular snore quite frequently.
When and why should I see a doctor about my snoring?
Often nerve-wracking for the partner, frequent snoring can also be dangerous for the sufferer. This is the case when breathing pauses occurs during the night. If these occur more frequently during the same night and last for at least ten seconds, sleep apnea may be present.
What happens with sleep apnea?
Our body experiences breathing pauses several times a night. To get our breath back, we awaken briefly. The brain center coordinates this survival impulse in our body. However, the waking states are so short that we do not even notice them during the time. If this situation exists permanently, however, the circumstances sometimes develop drastically. The following issues can occur:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness up to microsleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Night sweats
Why is the treatment for sleep apnea important?
Going to the doctor because of snoring or frequent fatigue is still considered unnecessary by many people. However, this decision can cost them their health, because over time the risk of many secondary diseases increases more and more. These include:
- Depression
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Migraine
But it doesn’t have to come to that. Once sleep apnea has been diagnosed, there are many treatment options available to you. In addition to the CPAP mask and the tongue pacemaker, the protrusion splint is a promising treatment option and thus almost a guarantee for a new sleeping experience.
What is a protrusion splint?
The mandibular advancement splint is one option for sleep apnea therapy. It is colloquially also often called snoring, snoring, or anti-snoring splint. Its appearance is reminiscent of a loose brace. It is used before going to bed.
The purpose of the protrusion splint is to push your lower jaw, tongue muscle, and lower jaw tissue slightly forward. This allows your throat muscles to relax, thus preventing possible obstruction of your airway. As a result, you will no longer snore.
What does a protrusion splint cost?
The price models of a mandibular snoring splint depend on the type and style of the splint.
Snoring splints: Models and price ranges at a glance
- You can often take very simple models with you and try them out right away. However, they come in standard one-size-fits-all and do not fit precisely.
Cost: 20 to 50 €
- Flexible snoring splints can be adjusted by the user. They are placed in hot water and can then be individually shaped to the bite.
Cost: approx. 150 €
- For long-term use, snoring splints made by a doctor are recommended. They are individually adjusted to you based on a dental impression and offer the highest wearing comfort.
Cost: 400 to 700 €
Difference between monoblcok and bibiblock splint
There is also a difference between monoblock splints, which consist of one piece, and bibiblock splints, which consist of two individual sections for the upper and lower jaw. Your oral surgeon will certainly be able to give you a good, individual recommendation including a cost estimate.
Which health insurance company pays for the protrusion splint?
The question of whether or not the protrusion splint is covered by health insurance cannot be answered in a general way, as it depends on the individual case. Some health insurance companies cover some or all of the costs if the diagnosis of sleep apnea can be medically proven.
Then, however, often only if it can be further proven that other standard therapies were not successful. One of these standard therapies is usually therapy with a CPAP sleep mask (positive airway pressure therapy). It is best to ask the customer service representative at the health insurance company to advise you to what extent therapy with the protrusion splint is included in their benefits catalog.
Do I suffer from sleep apnea? The diagnosis as the first step
If you’ve been struggling through the day for a while now, it’s high time to determine your sleep apnea risk.
You can ask your doctor to refer you to a sleep lab. The problem, however, is that you may have to wait between 6-9 months for an appointment. The alternative? Simply test the most important values at home!
Sleepiz – The modern sleep laboratory
Sleepiz is an at-home sleep-testing device. It will be delivered to you in just three days and you will receive a medical standard result about your sleep condition and apnea disorder (if any) in just a few days.
Sleepiz measures your values completely contactless and transmits all the data directly to a well-secured cloud. After which, we send you your results as a PDF file via email. You can then present them to your doctor and discuss how to proceed.
How much does Sleepiz cost?
You can easily borrow the Sleepiz device from us. This way you get it at a fair price:
- Receive your Sleepiz device home for three days.
- Receive your analysis report and a consultation call with the Sleepiz expert. They will also discuss your results
- In addition, you will also get an individual sleep coaching of 20 minutes
Where can I order the Sleepiz device?
You can order Sleepiz online at: Sleepiz.com
If you have any questions, we will be happy to help you. In this case, please send us a short message. We look forward to getting to know your sleep better.
