I have sleep apnea. Mine is severe enough that I was provided a CPAP machine. I don't know too much about the dental device, but from what I've heard, they aren't always very effective. There is an on-line forum for sleep apnea that I've used and learned a lot from. I'm not sure if I can post the web address of this forum for you to check out, but if you Google cpaptalk.com, you'll find it.

Mare,

Many years ago my husband and I both went through a sleep study. Hubs has sleep apnea severe enough to require a CPAP that our Blue Cross PPO insurance covered. Well, our insurance covered 80%. The way the DME company billed it to the insurance really irked me. For example, they billed for the air hose as a separate item even though an air hose comes with the machine.

My sleep study showed that I have an "upper airway obstruction," and that I never got into REM sleep. The doctor wrote a prescription for a CPAP for me. But, our insurance would not cover it because I didn't meet the threshold for "incidents" during the night. I got a CPAP anyway because I knew I needed it. The DME provider knew I had to pay out of pocket, and gave me a cash price.

Hubs and I each got the exact same machine, with the exact same humidifier and carrying case. We even got the same mask.

The cash price that I paid was less than the 80% that our insurance paid for my husband's machine.

So, don't give up on getting a CPAP. Ask the DME provider for a cash price. Also check online providers. They would require a copy of your CPAP prescription to be faxed to them, but that's easy enough. And their prices can be a LOT less than local DME providers.

The CPAPs have a little SIM card (like some cell phones) that record all the data, and you take the card out every so often and take it to the doctor's office to be read. The machines rarely, if ever, need to be calibrated. At most, your doctor may want your pressure level changed, based on the data from your SIM card, but that's a really quick and easy adjustment.

You can also get replacement air hoses and masks online from the same places you can buy the machines online. Oh, they are approved resellers for the machines.

Good advice, to shop around. I think like many medical-related things, prices can vary. However, I would advise against buying your equipment online for your first foray into the world of CPAP use.

For the following reason- bricks and mortar sellers will provide you in-person access to a respiratory tech. That person will give you an orientation and continuing guidance as you learn to use the equipment. Also, they commonly will give you the opportunity to try many different masks until you find what works best for you. A high percentage of new CPAP users are ultimately unsuccessful in adapting to their use - I seem to recall it's something like 50% who fail. Having a personal adviser should help you be successful. Give it your best effort and then some, it can be done.

PS - CPAP machines have removable SD (secure digital) memory cards, as used by digital cameras, PCs, some phones and other devices. SIM (subscriber identity module) cards are for mobile phones (and tablets with cell phone connections). They have the encrypted ID info that tells the network who you are when the device connects to the cell signal.

Both SD and SIM cards are rectangular with notched corners, but the SD card has a series of contacts at the narrow end of the rectangle, on the underside. The contacts of a SIM card are on top and the contacts look very similar to (though smaller than) the exposed chip on a smart card.

Yes.....I have had two sleep studies and both said I had sleep apnea. I tried two different types of masks and the air blowing up my nose caused my sinus to go crazy! I was advised to get a mouth piece. Medicare did pay for the entire amount...I think it was $1500! Which I thought was expensive! They sent me a plastic mouth piece, I had to bite down and make an impression, send it back and they then sent my permanent piece. It brings my bottom jaw forward and supposed open my airway in the back of my throat.

I really can not tell the difference if I wear it or not.....except when I wear it, my jaws hurt in the morning and the screws on the sides rub on my cheeks. Since I live alone, I do not know if it helps my snoring or not.

mare-wbpa - My husband uses one of the dental devices you referred to in your post. But we live in Canada - and no we had to pay for it. He is now past 65 and when he needs a new (third device) we will have to pay for it as well..

About 8 years ago I finally managed to have him mention his very loud snoring to his doctor. His doctor referred him first to his dentist - who in term referred him to a specialist who makes the sleeping aid device. The doctor told my husband - as did the specialist that often the dental device will solve the issue.

However, the specialist had to take several measurements of my husband's mouth to determine if he would be a candidate for a device. Not everyone is. He was a candidate and so the appliance was made. The first once cost $1,000 Cdn. - neither our provincial health plan nor his office plan would pay towards the cost. If you take care of it, the lifetime expectancy is 5 years.

My biggest fear was that he would not wear it. But after the first night he was very happy - the device just opened his airway enough that it made a huge difference. He still snores loudly if on his back, but not nearly as much as when on his side.

At the 5 year mark he had to go back and have another device made - this one cost $1,200. Actually, the dentist said that despite being 5 years old it was in better shape than others he had seen that were 1 year old. The trick was the container I bought for him to keep it in - one of those small thermal jars. And he had to use the Polident retainer cleanser on the device.

He does have eye issues - including glaucoma in one eye. A few months ago his eye specialist decided he should send my husband for a sleep study because often sleep apnea can be related to glaucoma. He was a 5 on his side and a 7 on his back - so he was cleared of sleep apnea since he only reached a 7 when he was sleeping on his back. I was grateful because I have seen the machines and read all about them on the website that was provided by another poster - and my husband is a mouth breather so that would have made using the CPAP machine more difficult. But if he needed it, he would have needed it - no questions asked. A look at the site would not hurt, the posters are good people.

My husband is not overweight nor does he have diabetes. When he had his eye surgery he was the only one in the waiting room who did not have diabetes - and again at the sleep study they were surprised he was not over weight or suffering from diabetes.

The dentist did warn him against buying one of the dental devices sold at the pharmacy - or "as seen on TV". It most definitely has to be made to fit your mouth. I would not have been comfortable had he been asked to send back an impression - the dentist did it.

Sometimes he will put one of those Nose Strips on his nose together with the appliance - especially when we are away from home. This helps his snoring even more. Snoring and bad vision are very common in his family.

I hope you are able to find a solution. I am a diagnosed insomniac who also had a sleep study performed many years ago. I do not have sleep apnea, but I do have the opposite reaction to anything that would sedate the normal person. So sleeping pills, anti-histamines, locals etc. have no effect on me. I would give up something to be able to sleep - but it is not in the cards for me. If you could somehow manage it, I would try for a device.