SomnoMed, Respire & Herbst Appliance, Patient Instructions
Instructions of Use
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Thoroughly brush and floss teeth to a clean finish (failure to brush and floss teeth can lead to premature discoloration of appliance).
Discoloration will not affect function or longevity of device.
Place upper appliance gently onto teeth by hand, do not bite into place.
Before inserting your lower appliance, open and move your lower jaw side to side very loose then open as wide as you can (some may feel
and/or hear a click), STAY OPEN and place lower appliance gently by hand, do not bite into place. This will insure that the disc and the jaw joint
do not get trapped out of place, which can cause pain in the joint.
Once both appliances are seated firmly in mouth make sure appliance’s flat planes are in even contact throughout the arch when jaw is closed.
It may take a few nights to get used to the appliance. Some jaw muscle tenderness may occur. If any severe pain occurs, please contact our
office immediately.
If you regularly clench and grind at night you may continue to have sore jaw muscles for a longer period of time than most.
Initially, you can expect increased saliva. THIS IS NORMAL.
After a period of time you may begin to experience dry mouth. For this a humidifier is good, keep it close to your bed in an elevated position.
(We recommend Swiss Air – available at Bed Bath & Beyond)
It is also common for the bite to feel “funny” in the morning, regardless of how it feels, follow the instructions to reset your bite EVERY DAY.
Resetting the Bite
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Every morning you will need to reset your bite! To do this, place your tongue as far back on the soft palate (the top of your mouth) as you can.
While keeping the tongue in that position slowly bite your back teeth together and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat at least 10 times or until the bite
resets. You may use the AM aligner while doing the exercise or as a reference after doing the exercise.
Forgetting or ignoring this step can increase the chance of having TMJ pain and/or discomfort.
Cleaning of Appliance
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Upon removal from the mouth, rinse in lukewarm water. Clean with a soft toothbrush and a mild detergent, such as liquid soap. Rinse well. Pay
particular attention to cleaning the metal components and the fitting surface to ensure that it is free from all scaling deposits
Store in a container with a lid of clean water or wrap in a damp paper towel and store in the case provided. By keeping appliance wet, the acrylic
will not dry out and will prevent cracks, corrosion and possible discoloration of the metal components, caused by build-up of salts and saliva.
Once or twice a week soak appliance in a partial denture cleaner, such as Polident or Efferdent. Soak for five minutes, then rinse and store in a
container with a lid of clean water or wrap in a damp paper towel and always store in the case provided. This prevents the appliance from drying
out and increases its longevity.
Sleeping Instructions
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Best results are achieved by sleeping on your side. To be certain you sleep on your side, it is helpful to put 2 wiffle balls into a sock and pin to a
night gown or shirt with large safety pins. Position the ball between the shoulder blades.
To Massage Jaw Muscles
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Place your thumb on the inside of your cheek and your other four fingers on the outside. Start as high up (toward the ear) as possible. Squeeze
and pull across the masseter muscle.
Instructions for Turning
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SomnoDent and Respire Blue Series: Use the adjustment key to turn the screw in the direction of the yellow arrow (i.e If the arrow is pointing in
the up direction, insert the key into the hole located at the bottom of the arrow and push the key in the up direction until it stops. That is
considered one turn).
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Herbst Pink Series: Use the adjustment key to turn the screw from the – sign toward the + sign. If you are unable to see the + and – signs, hold
the appliance like you are going to insert it, turn the right side from bottom to top (or in the up direction) and turn the left side from top to
bottom (or in the down direction)
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I have read and understand the instructions for use of my oral appliance. I have been given the opportunity to ask questions and know that I
should call if I have any additional questions.