Mandibular Advancement Splint for Sleep Apnoea
A custom oral appliance that supports your airway overnight.
What Is a Mandibular Advancement Splint for Sleep Apnoea?
A mandibular advancement splint, or MAS, is a custom oral appliance worn during sleep to help manage obstructive sleep apnoea. It fits over your upper and lower teeth and gently holds your lower jaw forward so the airway stays more open.
By bringing the jaw and tongue forward, the device helps reduce the airway narrowing and collapse that causes breathing to pause or become shallow during sleep. For suitable patients, that can mean steadier breathing and more restful sleep.
At Dental Sleep Professionals, oral appliance therapy for sleep apnoea is guided by your symptoms, your sleep study results and your clinical suitability. It is not prescribed in isolation; treatment is matched to your diagnosis.
What Happens to Your Airway With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) happens when the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep. As your throat muscles relax, the soft tissues at the back of the throat can collapse inward and block airflow.
Each time the airway closes, breathing pauses or drops until your brain briefly rouses you to reopen it. This can happen many times an hour, often without you remembering it.
The result is fragmented, low-quality sleep. People with OSA often wake unrefreshed, feel foggy or tired through the day, and notice loud snoring or breathing pauses reported by a partner.
Left untreated, OSA is linked to higher blood pressure, heart and circulation problems, and daytime risks such as drowsiness behind the wheel. Treating it properly matters, which is why diagnosis and ongoing review sit at the centre of how the practice works. A MAS helps by supporting the jaw in a position that keeps the airway more open overnight.
How a MAS Treats Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
A mandibular advancement splint manages OSA by holding your lower jaw forward through the night. That position can help:
- Keep the upper airway more open during sleep
- Reduce airway collapse in suitable mild to moderate OSA patients
- Limit the breathing pauses and drops that fragment your sleep
- Support steadier, less interrupted breathing overnight
- Lower the snoring that often comes with sleep apnoea
A MAS does not force pressurised air into your airway the way a CPAP machine does. There is no mask, hose, motor or power source. Instead, it changes the physical position of your jaw, tongue and surrounding tissue to create more room for air.
For many people, that makes a custom oral appliance easier to wear night after night, which is the real measure of any sleep apnoea treatment. Oral appliance therapy is commonly considered for mild to moderate OSA, and for people with more severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP.
Is Oral Appliance Therapy Right for Your Sleep Apnoea?
A mandibular advancement splint may be appropriate if you:
- Have been diagnosed with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea
- Have struggled to use or stick with a CPAP machine
- Have been advised to consider an oral appliance
- Want a quiet, travel-friendly option with no machine or power source
- Need a treatment you will actually wear every night
Oral appliance therapy is not suitable for everyone, and severity matters. CPAP is often the first-line treatment for severe OSA, while a MAS may be used when CPAP cannot be tolerated. Before recommending treatment, Dr Joachim Ngiam reviews your sleep study results, symptoms, dental health, jaw comfort and treatment goals, and works with your medical team where needed.
What Our Sleep Apnoea Patients Say
Why Choose Dental Sleep Professionals for Sleep Apnoea Treatment
Treating sleep-disordered breathing is the entire focus of this practice, led by a clinician with deep research credentials in the field.
- Dr Joachim Ngiam holds a University of Sydney PhD in the objective measurement of oral appliance therapy for sleep-disordered breathing, plus BDS (Hons), MSD and MPhil qualifications.
- His work has been published in peer-reviewed sleep and dental journals alongside leading Australian sleep researchers, and earned American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine research awards in 2011 and 2012.
- He is a past Co-Chair of the Australasian Sleep Association’s Dental and Orofacial Special Interest Group.
- The practice works closely with sleep physicians, GPs, ENT specialists and respiratory professionals, with many clinics co-located inside respiratory and sleep centres.
- Devices are TGA-approved and custom-made from high-quality German biomaterials with internal steel reinforcement, backed by a 3-year warranty.
- No referral is required, and clinics are available across NSW and Queensland.
Your Sleep Apnoea Treatment Process
Book your consultation
Meet with the team, discuss your diagnosis and symptoms, and bring any sleep study results you already have.
Confirm your diagnosis
If sleep apnoea is suspected or unconfirmed, we will help you organise a sleep study and coordinate with your medical team.
Get fitted
We take digital scans and make your custom oral appliance, then fit and adjust it for comfort.
Review and follow up
We review how the device is working, fine-tune the fit, and support your ongoing treatment over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
A custom MAS can help manage obstructive sleep apnoea by holding the lower jaw forward to keep the airway more open during sleep. It is commonly used for mild to moderate OSA, and for people with more severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP. Suitability depends on your diagnosis and is assessed before treatment.
CPAP is often the most effective therapy for severe OSA, but around half of patients struggle to use it consistently. A MAS can be a practical alternative for mild to moderate OSA or for CPAP-intolerant patients, because a device you actually wear every night works better than one left in the drawer.
Yes, in most cases. A sleep study confirms whether you have obstructive sleep apnoea and how severe it is, which guides treatment. Dental Sleep Professionals can help organise a sleep study if you have not had one, or work from your existing results.
Severity matters. CPAP is usually recommended first for severe OSA, but a MAS may be considered when CPAP cannot be tolerated. Dr Joachim Ngiam assesses your diagnosis and clinical suitability before recommending oral appliance therapy, often in consultation with your sleep physician.
Many private health policies offer rebates on custom oral appliances through extras cover, with the amount depending on your level of cover. The team can explain what to check with your fund before treatment.
No referral is required to book. The practice collaborates with GPs, sleep physicians, ENT specialists and respiratory professionals, and accepts referrals, but you can arrange a consultation directly.