{"id":136,"date":"2021-08-28T11:34:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-28T11:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/?p=136"},"modified":"2021-09-28T11:36:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T11:36:56","slug":"convenient-oral-appliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"custom oral appliance for sleep apnea\" class=\"wp-image-137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A custom oral appliance is a convenient alternative to using a CPAP machine to treat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/restorative-dentistry.html\">sleep apnea<\/a>, but it still takes some time to get used to. While it may seem a little uncomfortable at first, this is just temporary. Furthermore, there are ways to adjust to your new appliance and get the restful sleep that you need. Continue reading to get the full details!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Challenges with New Oral Appliances<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rightfully so, when you first insert an oral appliance, it can feel abnormal. It\u2019s not uncommon for your body to react as it attempts to adjust to the new apparatus. Here are some of the issues that new patients may encounter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Discomfort and tightness <\/strong>\u2013 Oral appliances are constructed from hard-plastic. Thus, it may feel unnatural in your mouth. Most patients report experiencing a snug and restricting fit, but that\u2019s actually a plus. It ensures that the appliance won\u2019t fall out while you\u2019re snoozing.<\/li><li><strong>Excessive saliva production and drooling <\/strong>\u2013 When something is inserted, your mouth naturally produces extra saliva to encourage digestion. Therefore, in the early stages of wearing your oral appliance, you may experience excessive drooling.<\/li><li><strong>Gagging <\/strong>\u2013 At first, patients with a stronger gag reflex may find it a little more difficult to insert the apparatus in their mouth. However, the urge should subside over time.<\/li><li><strong>Nighttime removals <\/strong>\u2013 Some patients are prone to unconsciously remove their oral appliance at night. If this happens to you, it should stop over time as your body learns to adjust to wearing the oral appliance.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning to Live with Your Oral Appliance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Time is a key factor in adjusting to your oral appliance. By consistently wearing it every night, your brain and body will eventually learn to adapt. This will help ease any discomfort, regulate your saliva production and limit the instances of nighttime removals. The typical adjustment period is around 2 to 3 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if the Challenges Continue?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After the first 3 weeks of wearing your oral appliance, if you\u2019re still having difficulties, there could be an issue with the design of the apparatus. At that time, you should bring it to your dentist\u2019s attention. If necessary, minor adjustments can be made to improve the situation. If that doesn\u2019t work, you may need to get a new device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While adapting to an oral appliance may seem challenging at first, the long-term mental and physical benefits are well worth the initial efforts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Mayda Ferguson earned her dental degree from Louisiana State University. With two decades of experience in the dental field, she infuses a wealth of knowledge and compassion into every visit. To remain current with the latest breakthroughs in dentistry, Dr. Ferguson takes several hours of continuing education annually, and as a testament to her commitment to excellence, she has earned Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Ferguson helps her patients rest better by providing oral appliances at Second Line Family Dentistry, and she can be reached for more information or to schedule a visit through her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A custom oral appliance is a convenient alternative to using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, but it still takes some time to get used to. While it may seem a little uncomfortable at first, this is just temporary. Furthermore, there are ways to adjust to your new appliance and get the restful sleep that you need. Continue reading to get the full details! <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You\u2019ve recently received an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, but the adjustment process is challenging. Here\u2019s how to adapt!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You\u2019ve recently received an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, but the adjustment process is challenging. Here\u2019s how to adapt!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Second Line Family Dentistry Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-28T11:34:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-28T11:36:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"secondlinefamilydentistry\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"secondlinefamilydentistry\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"secondlinefamilydentistry\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/82e24f285640afa42cf93ae1947b4a52\"},\"headline\":\"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-28T11:34:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-28T11:36:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":516,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/09\\\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/\",\"name\":\"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/09\\\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-28T11:34:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-28T11:36:56+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/82e24f285640afa42cf93ae1947b4a52\"},\"description\":\"You\u2019ve recently received an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, but the adjustment process is challenging. Here\u2019s how to adapt!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/09\\\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/09\\\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/28\\\/convenient-oral-appliance\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Second Line Family Dentistry Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/82e24f285640afa42cf93ae1947b4a52\",\"name\":\"secondlinefamilydentistry\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c773ace405a5b4e08a7b99083e30f535150921ab1907663780066f910f4d16d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c773ace405a5b4e08a7b99083e30f535150921ab1907663780066f910f4d16d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c773ace405a5b4e08a7b99083e30f535150921ab1907663780066f910f4d16d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"secondlinefamilydentistry\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/secondlinefamilydentistry\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!","description":"You\u2019ve recently received an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, but the adjustment process is challenging. Here\u2019s how to adapt!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!","og_description":"You\u2019ve recently received an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, but the adjustment process is challenging. Here\u2019s how to adapt!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/","og_site_name":"Second Line Family Dentistry Blog","article_published_time":"2021-08-28T11:34:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-09-28T11:36:56+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"secondlinefamilydentistry","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"secondlinefamilydentistry","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/"},"author":{"name":"secondlinefamilydentistry","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/82e24f285640afa42cf93ae1947b4a52"},"headline":"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!","datePublished":"2021-08-28T11:34:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-28T11:36:56+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/"},"wordCount":516,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/","url":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/","name":"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569-300x225.jpg","datePublished":"2021-08-28T11:34:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-28T11:36:56+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/82e24f285640afa42cf93ae1947b4a52"},"description":"You\u2019ve recently received an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, but the adjustment process is challenging. Here\u2019s how to adapt!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oral_sleep_appliance__1538054060_34569.jpg","width":800,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/28\/convenient-oral-appliance\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Struggling to Adjust to Your Oral Appliance? Try This!"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/","name":"Second Line Family Dentistry Blog","description":"","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/82e24f285640afa42cf93ae1947b4a52","name":"secondlinefamilydentistry","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c773ace405a5b4e08a7b99083e30f535150921ab1907663780066f910f4d16d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c773ace405a5b4e08a7b99083e30f535150921ab1907663780066f910f4d16d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c773ace405a5b4e08a7b99083e30f535150921ab1907663780066f910f4d16d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"secondlinefamilydentistry"},"url":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/author\/secondlinefamilydentistry\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions\/138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondlinefamilydentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}