TheraSnore Anti-Snoring Mouth Guard Review

What is the Original TheraSnore mouthpiece?

The TheraSnore is a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) made to retain your lower jaw in a slightly forward position while you are asleep. When sleeping, your muscles tend to relax, including those in your throat, and when you lower jaw falls to the back of your throat (when sleeping on your back for instance), the partial clogging of the airway makes it harder for air to flow through, making the relaxed tissues vibrate. The Therasnore, by holding your lower jaw in a forward position, then keeps the airway at the back of you throat cleared, significantly reducing or eliminating snoring entirely. The retention of the lower jaw in a forward position also stops your tongue from falling to far back into your throat and partially clogging it.

The TheraSnore is sold in the UK and in the US. In the US there are two different types: the Adjustable TheraSnore and the Original Therasnore. The difference being that the Adjustable ThereaSnore can be adjusted by small incrementations after having gone through the boil-and-bite process, whereas the Original Therasnore in the US is only boil-and-bite. On the other hand The Original TheraSnore in the UK is like the Adjustable in the US in that it is both boil-and-bite, and it can be adjusted incrementally after having molded it. Another important difference between the products sold in the US and those sold in the UK is that in the US both the Original and the Adjustable can only be fitted by a dentist, which significantly increases its costs, and can only be bought at certain dentist offices.

This review is of the Original Therasnore sold over-the-counter in the UK.

The FDA has cleared the product, meaning it is similar enough to another product previously approved by the FDA, and it has been supplied to the NHS for over 10 years.

It does not have a breathing hole at the front, forcing you to breathe through your nose, and it (the one bought over the counter) cannot be worn by people with dentures or loose teeth.

The Design and Material Used

The Original Therasnore is made of a combination of hard acrylic, and some sort of thermoplastic. Thermoplastic is a plastic that can be molded through a boil-and-bite process, but it can be many different kinds and combinations of plastic, which they do not specify. It is also not specified whether the product is BPA and latex free, which is not the best sign.

The Therasnore also does not have breathing holes, which would allow you to breathe through your mouth. This is a blessing and a curse. You will need to get used to breathing through your nose if you are usually a mouth breather, but this should only be a matter of time. You will also not be able to use the device when you have a stuffy nose, whether during allergy season or due to the flu. But there is a good side to this: breathing through your mouth can make your mouth dry, and because the air flow directly impacts the back of your throat, mouth breathers will be more likely to snore. On the other hand, when breathing through your nose, the air passes through a nice curve and goes into your throat without abruptly hitting any tissues.

How To Use the Original Therasnore And How It Works

The main cause of snoring is a partial clogging of the back of your throat by the lower jaw or the tongue falling back. This causes the airflow to have to force its way through the throat, making the tissues there vibrate. Snoring will more often happen during sleep because when we are asleep our muscles relax, including those around our throat, making it easier for air to make the relaxed tissues vibrate. Also, the lower jaw will usually move to the back of the throat when we are sleeping on our back (which is why sometimes simply sleeping on your side can reduce your chances of snoring).

The Therasnore retains your jaw in a slightly forward position, keeping the back of the throat cleared, and that way the tongue can’t fall back enough to clog that area either.

The product also offers additional adjustability with 5 different levels (moving the device forwards or backwards), after the boil-and-bite process. If you have found that boil-and-bite devices don’t give you enough precision, an adjustable MAD, like the Original Therasnore, could be an interesting solution.

Make sure to brush your teeth and clean your mouth before wearing the device or shaping it. This is to try and keep the device clean, but also because, since the device rests on your teeth, it can trap pieces of food close to your teeth, which can cause problems in the long term.

The device is adjusted by a boil-and-bite process, and then through small incrementations. Make sure to read the instructions on how to fit it that come with it, but here is what to expect:

• Mold the bottom and top pieces separately
• Have a pot of near-boiling water, and one with cold water
• Place it in the hot water with a spoon
• After a few minutes remove it from the hot water, let it cool
• When it is cool enough, place it in your mouth, with the proper side facing up, and bite down on it, sucking in your saliva so it better takes the shape of your teeth
• After another minute or two remove it from your mouth, and place it in the cold water

Cleaning and Longevity

You should clean your mouthpiece after every use. The orthofresh denture cleaner it comes with can be used daily, and will effectively clean the appliance in cold to cool water.

To clean it using the orthofresh dental cleaner:

• Pour half a capful of the denture cleaner into enough water so that the appliance is completely submerged. The water should be cold or cool.
• Once there is no more bubbling and that the water has cleared, which will take around 15 minutes, you can remove the device from the solution, rinse it in cold water thoroughly, and let it air dry. If you want you can let your device soak in the denture cleaner over night, rinsing it and letting it air dry the next morning.

The company says the product can last around 2 years. This makes this product a really cost effective solution. Though obviously it will depend on the user (whether you grind your teeth will play a role in its durability), and on whether it is properly cared for.

Potential Side Effects

Potential side effects, which are common to all Mandibular Advancement Devices are:

• Jaw soreness and
• Excessive drooling

Other potential side effects can include any of the following:

• Tender teeth
• Irritation of the gums
• Minor changes to the way you bite down on your device

All of these side effects will be at their worse in the first few days, and they should quickly disappear. Though some of the side effects may persist in a relatively mild intensity

Clinical Trials

The company itself and every reviewer online say there have been numerous clinical trials run on this product. Given that it is a product used and recommended by the NHS, it shouldn’t be hard to believe. Though the only clinical trial that was found here, was one conducted by the firm itself, and concluded that the Original Therasnore was “effective in the treatment of snoring in two out of three non-apnoeic snorer”, and that it could make your mouth dry and fell “bulky”.

Will the Original TheraSnore Work for You?

The Original Therasnore is an MAD that has been cleared by the FDA and used by the NHS for many years. It should then be an effective remedy to snoring. Though keep in mind that it does not have breathing holes, meaning you will have to breathe through your mouth while using it, so that you will probably not be able to use it when you have a stuffy nose because of the flu, or because of the allergy season.

The boil-and-bite molding makes it adjust to your teeth line, while by using the adjustability features of the device you will be able to move it forward by small increments after the boil-and-bite process.

The Therasnore may be able to be worn by people with dentures if your dentist is to fit it to your jaw, like in the US, but when buying over-the-counter this may not be the case.

Since it is a MAD, it rests on your teeth, and cannot be worn by people with loose teeth.

How Much Does It Cost And Where To Buy It

It can be bought on the official company’s website Tower Health.

In the UK it costs 49.95 GBP, that’s around $72.00.

It comes with a 30-day money back guarantee

Shipping within the UK costs 3.95 GBP

The equivalent in the US (called adjustable TheraSnore) can only be bought at dentist’s office, and its price and guarantee will vary.

Company Behind The Product

Tower Health, the company behind the product, first introduced their product in 2002, only through “professional dental fitting clinics”. Tower Health then introduced the product to the public at large in 2007.

Tower Health is a big company with many different products, all health-related.

The NHS has been using this product for many years. It is also FDA cleared, meaning it was deemed similar enough to another product that had been approved by the FDA.

Reviews online of the product are relatively mixed, though positive overall (2.5 to 3.5 stars out of 5)

Summary of the Original Therasnore Mouthpiece

The Original Therasnore is an adjustable MAD, meaning it takes the shape of your jaw and teeth through a boil-and-bite process, and can then be adjusted through small increments to place your jaw forwards or backwards. There are no mention of this product being BPA and latex free, and there are no breathing holes in it, meaning you will have to breathe through your nose (this is not necessarily a bad thing, and you would get used to it eventually).

It is easy to clean, using the relatively cheap denture cleaner tablets that can be bought with the product, and if properly taken care of, it can last about 2, or even 3 years.

Potential side effects of the product include jaw soreness, dry mouth, and excessive drooling, like with any other MADs, though these side effects should decrease over time.

There have been clinical trials run on the product, and their conclusion is that the product is relatively effective.

The company behind the product is Tower Health, a big company that sells health related products. It has been selling its product for many years, and the NHS has been recommending them. In the US the product has been FDA cleared.

Pros and Cons