Snoring Mouthpieces

Snoring is a common ailment that affects the sleep of an estimated 90 million Americans. When you and your loved ones don’t get a quality night’s sleep due to snoring, the impact can be felt on your health, relationships, and work life. But with so many snoring solutions on the market, you might not be sure where to even start.

As one of the more accessible and affordable options out there, snoring mouthpieces (sometimes called snoring mouth guards) like ZQuiet have a low barrier to entry. Furthermore, their effectiveness comes from targeting the most common cause of snoring. While you sleep, your lower jaw and surrounding tissue naturally relax, allowing your tongue to fall back toward your throat. As air travels through this restricted airway, the air vibrates over the tissue, resulting in the sound of snoring. To help treat this condition, snoring mouthpieces work to keep the jaw or tongue in place and prevent them from restricting your airway. Overall, mouthpieces offer one of the most accessible, effective, and cost-friendly options to treat snoring. Keep reading to learn the ins-and-outs of evaluating, comparing, and buying a snoring mouthpiece!

Snoring mouthpieces come in a variety of designs and materials, but generally, they can be broken down into two types: Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD) or Tongue Stabilizing Devices (TSD).

MADs work to keep the lower jaw from sliding back, allowing air to pass freely through your airway without creating a harsh vibration. Some MADs come in predetermined, non-custom sizes, while others require an individual fitting or custom impression made through the “boil and bite” technique. ZQuiet is made of soft, pliable, and ready-to-wear material that conforms to the user’s mouth, so users can enjoy comfortable and custom-fitted snoring relief directly out of the box. MADs can be further broken down into two subtypes: hinged mouthpieces and adjustable mouthpieces. Hinged mouthpieces like ZQuiet work by conforming to the user’s mouth to offer a more relaxed experience and allow comfortable breathing through both the mouth and nose, regardless of sleeping position. Adjustable mouthpieces typically utilize a movable tray that is incrementally adjusted to try to fit the user’s mouth as closely as possible, the disadvantage being that they tend to be more bulky and force the teeth into a fixed, clenched bite so comfort can be a tradeoff.

The other common type of snoring mouthpiece, a Tongue Stabilizing Device (TSD), holds the tongue in place, or even pulls it forward, rather than repositioning the lower jaw. These tongue retaining devices, while potentially offering a more comfortable experience to some users, keeps your mouth closed and requires breathing through your nose. One common design of TSD is to use a hollow bulb that creates suction to pull the tongue forward through the lips. This type of TSD device is commonly referred to as a Tongue Retention Device (TRD). While wearing these may look a little funny, they are effective at keeping the tongue from collapsing into the airway.

We believe ZQuiet offers one of the most comfortable and affordable snoring mouthpieces available, but we also know that smart consumers want to understand all of their options. Typically, other mouthpiece brands try opening your airway using different approaches to flexibility and jaw or tongue position. Cost, design, and materials can vary significantly across these other options, which include SnoreRx, Good Morning Snore Solution, VitalSleep, and Zyppah. See how ZQuiet compares to them here, or see a list of the best reviewed snoring mouthpieces in 2022 here.While snoring mouthpieces provide effective and comfortable snoring relief, there are also other viable treatment options available, depending on your needs and preferences:

CPAP devices use a hose and nosepiece or mask to deliver constant, steady air pressure ventilation, effectively keeping your airway open. These machines provide an effective treatment for those suffering from traditional snoring as well as obstructive sleep apnea, but their cost, comfort, and noisiness can be a barrier.

Anti-snoring chin straps, typically made from a flexible fabric or neoprene material, are placed under the chin and wrapped around the head, keeping the jaw positioned correctly to prevent open mouth breathing. They may be a good option for those with dentures, braces, or other dental issues, but they do not support breathing through the mouth, and the strap can be uncomfortable to wear and sometimes shift out of position during sleep. A better option is an adhesive chin strip like ZQuiet Chin-UP which is clinically proven to reduce snoring and enhance nasal breathing. Made from hypoallergenic 3M medical grade adhesive tape, the strips are easy to apply and provide immediate results. Unlike the bulky chin straps, ZQuiet Chin-UP can be worn in combination with oral appliances or CPAP masks.

Nasal strips and dilators work by opening the nasal passages or nostrils to encourage better airflow in those areas. Nasal strips are adhered over the bridge of the nose to expand the nasal passages, while nasal dilators are inserted into the nasal passage. We believe that ZQuiet Breathe is one of the most comfortable and effective nasal dilators on the market. The patented flexible wings fit all sizes and gently expand your nasal passage to increase airway volume by up to 58%. Strips and dilators can be an affordable option to relieve sinus congestion and reduce nasal snoring. However, they do not target the most common cause of snoring, where your tongue and lower jaw relax and subsequently restrict your airway, causing the soft tissues to vibrate. For this reason, some people wear them in conjunction with an anti-snoring mouthpiece.

CPAP Machines

Many snoring mouthpieces can be conveniently purchased online or over-the-counter. However, there are a few factors you should consider before trying an anti-snoring mouthpiece:

Some low-cost mouthpieces may use substandard materials that are uncomfortable – and potentially dangerous – when worn in the mouth. Some mouthpieces use a thermal-set material that you boil and then bite to fit and adjust. Because the thermal-set material is very soft, it requires a hard outer plastic shell to keep the shape of the mouthpiece and jaw advanced. This makes most boil-and-bite mouthpieces stiff and bulky. ZQuiet’s small, surprisingly soft mouthpiece is made of medical grade rubber that requires no boiling or impressions to use. It was designed by a dentist and has been proven to be safe and effective.

Some mouthpieces available online may not be approved by the FDA, which is a federal requirement. ZQuiet is properly cleared and registered with the FDA. We had to prove not only that the material is safe - but also that the product effectively achieves its intended purpose. Don’t buy any mouthpiece that isn’t properly registered and listed with the FDA.

The most reputable vendors will offer a fair and comprehensive return policy. At ZQuiet, we stand by our product and give all customers a 60-Day Money Back Guarantee. You can return ZQuiet for any reason, no strings attached.

• Dentures or oral prosthesis: If you wear dentures or oral prostheses, you generally will not be able to wear a snoring mouthpiece as there is no stable base to support the mouthpiece. However, if the denture (upper or lower) includes just one of the front teeth, it is normally fine to use ZQuiet.
• Missing several teeth: Consult your dentist to decide whether your dentition can support a snoring mouthpiece and your teeth can handle the mouthpiece pressure without issues.
• Strong overbite: If you have a pronounced overbite, a mouthpiece’s advancement of your jaw might not be sufficient enough to provide effective support for your dentition.
• Sleep apnea: Mouthpieces like ZQuiet are indicated for snoring and not intended to treat sleep apnea or other breathing disorders. You should consult your physician about these issues before using ZQuiet. Depending on the severity, however, a MAD or TSD mouthpiece might be able to assist in preventing airway blockages in obstructive sleep apnea.

It’s not unusual to have some questions about snoring mouthpieces! Before you decide on a snoring solution, make sure you review our answers to these common questions. At ZQuiet, we believe that being a dedicated partner in snoring treatment starts with a commitment to providing our customers with as much information as possible. Learn More.