Q. What is a Thornton Adjustable Positioner® (TAP®)?
A. The TAP is a customized oral appliance for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea. It is an alternative treatment to constant positive airway pressure
(CPAP). The TAP looks like a small football mouth guard. One “tray” snaps on your bottom teeth and the other snaps on your top teeth. There is a hook mechanism that keeps
the two trays together when it is in your mouth. The TAP keeps the airway open at night and prevents snoring and apnea by holding the jaw in a forward position. You can adjust the
TAP while it is in your mouth. This allows you to control your therapy. The TAP has the ability to create the most open airway possible because it can advance your jaw farther forward
than any other oral appliance currently on the market. Finally, the TAP is the only oral appliance that can work in tandem with a CPAP for TAP Combination Therapy.
Q. What does a “stepped” approach to therapy mean?
A. A stepped approach to therapy means that there are several stages of treatment. We offer treatment to manage the airway that is based on the principles
of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. The first step is to stabilize the lower jaw and pull it forward to open the airway with a TAP oral appliance. In most cases, this
is all the treatment necessary to resolve snoring and sleep apnea problems (even in severe cases of sleep apnea). If a patient can't be treated with an oral appliance alone,
we can add a custom CPAP mask to the oral appliance to further assist with opening the airway and breathing. With combination therapy, the patient gets the benefits of
both oral appliance and CPAP therapies. Combination therapy is usually only necessary in very severe cases.
Q. How is the TAP different than other oral appliances on the market?
A.The TAP is the only oral appliance that can be adjusted by the patient while in the mouth. It is important for patient to be able to control their
treatment position at home because sleep disordered breathing can vary night to night. The TAP has the smallest increments of adjustment of any appliance on the market. These
increments are standardized so the patient and doctor know the precise setting and can fine-tune the position at any time. The TAP has the ability to adjust the position of
the jaw farther forward than any other oral appliance on the market. Thus, the TAP has the ability to create the most open airway possible. Finally, the TAP is the only oral
appliance that has an attachment for a CPAP mask.
Q. What is the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s policy on oral appliances, like the TAP?
A. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends oral appliances like the TAP as a first line of therapy for patients with mild to moderate sleep
apnea. They recommend oral appliances to people who have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and have tried and not been successful with CPAP.
Q. How long does it take to see results with the TAP?
A. Most patients, including those with severe sleep apnea, can see results the first night of wearing their TAP oral appliance.
Q. Do I have to wear the TAP oral appliance every night?
Yes. You must wear the appliance every night to be treated for snoring and sleep apnea. When you do not wear your TAP oral appliance, your sleep disordered breathing will
return.
Q. Can I wear a TAP if I have a bridge or dentures?
A.If the bridge is fixed in your mouth there should be no problem. If you have a removable denture then it would depend on the number of teeth that
support the denture. As few as five teeth on the top and seven teeth on the bottom is enough to hold the TAP. I f you have no teeth then the TAP will not work without
implants.
Q. What if the TAP doesn’t work for me?
A. Very few people can not wear a TAP at all. If the TAP is not a good solution for you, you have another non-surgical option – continuous positive
airway pressure (CPAP). In some cases, surgery to reposition the lower jaw may be an option.
Q. What happens if my snoring or sleep apnea gets worse?
A. The TAP oral appliance is fully adjustable and can be set at different, standardized settings. If your snoring or sleep apnea gets worse, you have
the ability to advance the jaw forward to further open your airway. If you reach the maximum degree of advancement, you have the option of adding CPAP to the oral appliance.
This is TAP Combination Therapy™.
Q. What if I have severe sleep apnea?
A. If you have severe apnea, you have two options. You can try continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or you can start therapy with a TAP. If
the TAP alone doesn’t improve your apnea, you have the option of adding CPAP to the oral appliance. This is TAP Combination Therapy™.
Q. I am currently treating my apnea with a CPAP machine. I am rarely able to wear it throughout the night with
any level of comfort and am often awakened several times by the device. Am I a candidate for a TAP device?
A. Yes. The TAP oral appliance is a primary alternative to CPAP. SleepWell Solutions routinely treats patients who have failed CPAP therapy and successfully
resolves their sleep disordered breathing problems. |
