Dentistry-Online

Palatal brace

What is a palatal brace?

A palatal brace is a device that can be used while you sleep to prevent snoring and sleep apnea.

Such a snoring clip has an omega shape and fits the palate. It prevents the soft palate from vibrating and is supposed to switch off snoring noises.

Where is the palatal brace used?

The main reasons for wearing palatal braces are snoring and sleep apnea.

Snoring is an unpleasant noise that occurs in the upper respiratory tract of people sleeping. There are vibrating, fluttering movements of the roof of the mouth and uvula.

With sleep apnea, those affected suffer from repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. Snoring and sleep apnea are often linked. Palate braces are intended to help reduce these factors and make sleep more bearable for the person concerned and, if necessary, their partner.

In addition to the palate brace, there are numerous therapy options that can be used when snoring. Read more about this in our new article below: How can you prevent snoring?

Palate braces against snoring

Snoring describes a vibrating, fluttering sound in a sleeping person. It is caused by corresponding movements of the roof of the mouth and uvula, occasionally also by the base of the tongue and throat or nasal obstruction.

People who snore have a narrow upper airway during sleep. There are factors that can promote or worsen snoring. This includes:

Sleep on your back
alcohol
Smoke
Obesity
pregnancy
Mouth breathing
Obstruction of breathing in the nose (e.g. due to acute sinus infections, colds or allergic reactions).

There are still a lot of therapy options for snoring. If you're interested, check out our next article below: Snoring - What to do?

Palate braces against sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is considered a serious consequence of long-term snoring. The term sleep apnea describes repeated and brief pauses in breathing during sleep.

The cause is a complete collapse of the throat or the soft tissue of the neck. A clear expression of these complaints is called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder. The quality of sleep is impaired and those affected are often not rested and day-tired in the morning.

There are other treatment options for sleep apnea syndrome. If you are interested, read more about this under: Therapy of sleep apnea syndrome

What palatal braces are there?

Velumount snoring ring - classic palatal brace against snoring, named after its inventor Arthur Wyss.
Anti-snoring braces - so-called protrusion splints that are placed in the mouth overnight.

How does a palatal brace work?

Palatal braces are mainly made of plastic and are inserted into the oral cavity. This prevents the air channel from closing behind the soft palate in the oral cavity. The fluttering movements in the mouth are prevented at the point of origin and snoring is eliminated.

One advantage of the materials used for palatal braces is that they are very flexible and follow the muscular movements of the palate and tongue. A palatal brace should be customized. If the palatal braces fit well, those affected can swallow and drink water without any symptoms.

Do you have problems sleeping and are tired during the day afterwards? Dr-Gumpert Theam has found a solution for you. Read more about this under: Always tired - what can I do?

Duration of a palatal brace

To prevent snoring and sleep apnea, the palatal brace is worn at night and is therefore placed in the oral cavity before going to sleep.

In order to sleep permanently without snoring, the palate brace should be worn every night.

What does a palatal brace cost?

The costs of palatal braces differ depending on the provider. The costs vary between EUR 18 and EUR 150 per anti-snoring brace.

To get a good model, you can get advice from your ENT doctor about palatal braces and alternatives for snoring and sleep apnea.

Will the health insurance cover the costs?

In Germany, the cost of palatal braces has not been covered by statutory health insurances as a rule.

You can still contact your health insurance company and try to submit an application to cover the costs.

Pain with a palatal brace

As a general rule, palatal braces shouldn't cause pain. It should be customized and fit well. If you experience pain, you should have the palatal brace corrected.