Techno-Dent Clinic adds custom snoring and sleep apnoea appliances in Sandton

Techno-Dent Clinic in Sandton is now making and fitting custom oral appliances for snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea. The two-piece devices are designed for patients who cannot tolerate CPAP at night and can also serve as a no-power backup during outages and travel.

Why it matters: - The new service gives Sandton patients a non-electric option for managing snoring and some cases of obstructive sleep apnoea. - The appliance may help adults whose snoring disturbs a partner and patients who struggle to sleep with a CPAP mask. - Some CPAP users may keep the appliance as a backup for power cuts and travel. - For severe sleep apnoea, CPAP remains the usual first choice.

What happened: - Techno-Dent Clinic in Sandton now makes and fits custom snoring and sleep apnoea appliances. - The practice sees patients from Bryanston, Rivonia, Morningside, Fourways and Rosebank. - The device is a mandibular advancement appliance made from two clear trays connected on each side. - The connectors hold the lower jaw a few millimetres forward during sleep.

The details: - The forward jaw position brings the base of the tongue forward and reduces collapse at the back of the throat, a common cause of snoring. - The appliance is different from a night guard, which protects teeth from grinding but does not move the jaw. - Treatment starts with a sleep questionnaire and an exam of the teeth, gums and jaw joints. - Patients with signs of apnoea, including gasping at night, loud snoring broken by silences or heavy daytime sleepiness, are referred for a sleep study before the appliance is made. - The clinic takes an intraoral scan and a bite record in a set forward position. - The appliance is fitted about two to three weeks later. - Over the following weeks, the appliance is advanced by about half a millimetre at a time until the snoring settles. - The clinic reviews patients at about six weeks. - Patients treated for apnoea return for a follow-up sleep study with the appliance in place. - A Techno-Dent Clinic dentist said most patients come in because a partner sent them, and many have never had a sleep study. - The dentist said the clinic will not make an appliance for someone who might have apnoea until a sleep doctor has reviewed the case. - The dentist said gradual advancement over a few weeks is easier on the jaw joints than starting at the full position. - The appliance needs enough healthy teeth to support it. - Loose teeth or active gum disease are treated first. - Early side effects can include morning jaw stiffness and a bite that feels slightly off for 20 to 30 minutes after removal. - The clinic manages those effects with simple jaw exercises. - The fee covers the consultation, scan, appliance, fitting and adjustment visits in the first three months. - Patients receive a written quote with procedure codes so they can check medical aid cover before treatment starts.

Between the lines: - The service fits a wider trend toward compact, non-invasive sleep treatments that are easier to wear than a full CPAP mask. - The clinic is positioning the appliance as a practical option for selected patients, not a replacement for sleep medicine review. - The requirement for a sleep study in suspected apnoea suggests the practice is trying to separate simple snoring from more serious airway disease. - The power-free design adds appeal in South Africa, where outages can disrupt nightly CPAP use.

What's next: - Patients with suspected apnoea will continue into sleep study referrals before treatment starts. - Those who receive the appliance will return for step-by-step adjustments and, when needed, a follow-up sleep study. - The clinic is likely to market the device to patients who want an alternative to CPAP for mild to moderate cases or for backup use.

The bottom line: - Techno-Dent Clinic is adding a custom, scan-made oral appliance that may help selected snoring and sleep apnoea patients sleep more comfortably without electricity.