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Mandibular Advancement Device Shopping Guide
This is
intended to be a comprehensive survey of all the "do-it-yourself"
Mandibular Advancement Devices available in the world, with a comparison
of the prices.
I've added any freight charges onto purchase prices.
I think having a separate freight charge tacked on to the end of a purchase process is just unfair.
It's better to include the freight charge in the price of the item so people can make a fair comparison.
Also, it's not like anyone's going to buy something and then not want to actually receive it, so to offer something for sale without the freight charge is simply misleading. Yucky. Makes me a Sad Panda.
Here are my assumptions in compiling the comparison table below :
1. You live in Australia.
I've converted prices to Australia Dollars and included shipping to Australia.
2. You want to buy 2 mouthpieces.
Some manufacturers put 2 mouthpieces in each pack. Some only put 1. For those with 1, I've given the price of two packs plus shipping.
Getting 2 mouthpieces is a good idea if you haven't used this type of device before. It's possible that you will need to try
a few different jaw positions to get the result you want. Remoulding is usually possible, but not always. Also, the moulding process can go wrong.
So it's good to have a spare, ready from immediate deployment.
If you are a repeat customer, buying 2 is still better, it's cheaper in the long run.
3. You will only use a money back guarantee which is easy to invoke.
This is an interesting bit of showmanship some of my competitors use. All of us manufacturers know that around 20% of our (first-time) customers will not get a good result.
There simply are that many people who won't be able to use this style of device, for a variety of reasons. There's plenty of medical research to back that up.
So offering a money back guarantee for the unlucky 20% is a good idea.
Now here's the trick : if you demand that people send the product back to get their refund, hardly any will bother.
If you give them a tight deadline (like 30 days from initial purchase) then even fewer will. The percentage of people (succesfully) claiming drops right down, and you make more money. Even better, you can start to make ridiculous claims like "98% success rate! We know that because we only refund 2% of our customers!".
I reckon that's all dreadfully Bad Karma. I don't ask people to send anything back to get a refund. They just have to phone or email. And I don't impose a time limit (the oldest refund I've done so far was 3yrs and 1month after purchase). Even when I make it this easy, I still only get about 13% refunds, rather than the 20% you'd expect.
The point is, not all "Money Back Guarantees" are equal. You should check the conditions and ask yourself if you think you'd actually bother, if you needed it.
Comparison Table
Please if you find anything wrong or out of date. I'll ship you a free Snorer's Friend if you're
extremely helpful.
Somnoguard |  | A good device, widely and successfully used for many years.
Only downfalls are
(1) high price and
(2) poor or absent guarantee |
| Buy from | http://www.tomedcare.com/shop/index1.html | | Shipping from | Germany | | Guarantee | None. They just don't mention it. | | Data last checked | 3rd of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $171.96 (that's EUR 120.00 converted to Australian Dollars) | |
| Buy from | http://www.quietnight.co.uk/html/order_somnoguard.html | | Shipping from | England | | Guarantee | None. They divert you with a fallacy : "Because these devices must be individually fitted we cannot offer refunds after use." | | Data last checked | 3rd of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $208.54 (that's USD 190.00 converted to Australian Dollars) | |
| Buy from | http://www.nosnorezone.com/somnoguard-classic-stop-snoring-sleep-apnea.html | | Shipping from | Canada | | Guarantee | They have a "sort of" guarantee. If you send it back, at your own cost, packaged precisely as they describe, and it gets there within 30 days, they'll give you 50% of your money back, less some amount for shipping which they don't specify. | | Data last checked | 3rd of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $143.78 (that's USD 131.00 converted to Australian Dollars) | |
Snoremate |  | A reasonable device, very cheap but doesn't last very long as the material is quite soft.
Problems:
(1) no breathing hole
(2) short service life
(3) around 2 weeks wait for delivery
Don't worry about that long tongue thing attached to it, you trim that off after you mould it. It's just there to stop you burning your fingers when you put it in hot water. Most people give you a wooden or plastic spatula to do the same job, which has the advantage of giving you a breathing hole when you remove the spatula. I think his mould broke (can happen, and can be extremely expensive to fix), and this is an ingenious way to keep it running.
This is a reasonable option if you are really on a tight budget and want to have a go. But personally I think you'd be better off getting a better device, with a guarantee.
|
| Buy from | http://www.snoremate.co.za/snoring_shop.htm | | Shipping from | South Africa. I ordered a few while I was doing my initial research and each time they arrived in Australia in around 2 weeks. | | Guarantee | If you return it within 30 days (from initial purchase I guess) he'll give you your money back, less ZAR25.0, which is about $3.75. So basically you would never use this guarantee. The cost of postage, the time to post it, and the uncertainty of getting the small amount of money back makes it extremely unattractive. Neat trick! | | Data last checked | 4th of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $41.33 (that's ZAR 275.00 converted to Australian Dollars) | |
Sleep Pro 1 |  | A fine product.
Only downfalls are
(1) no guarantee
and either
(2) high price, if you order from Australian website,
or
(3) slow shipping, if you order from English or American website
|
Snorban |  | Reasonable product, just overpriced and not-so-good guarantee. |
| Buy from | http://www.snorban.co.uk/ordering-online/ | | Shipping from | England | | Guarantee | "SnorBan® is guaranteed for thirty days. If you are not completely satisfied with SnorBan’s® effectiveness, simply return it for a full money back refund." Which is pretty decent. Except you have to find the time and cash to pack it and post it back to them, and you've only got 30 days, which is basically impossible from Australia, given the speed of airmail. | | Data last checked | 4th of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $140.37 (that's GBP 81.00 converted to Australian Dollars) | |
| Buy from | http://www.snorban.com.au | | Shipping from | Australia, but gone out of business | | Guarantee | These guys don't seem to be operating any more, website not found. | | Data last checked | 5th of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $999.99 | |
The Snore Stopper (sometimes Snore Eliminator®) |  | Reasonable device, pretty cheap. They don't offer shipping to Australia though.
Some absurd claims made on their website :
This one, which is just stupid and wrong :
"The anti snoring device that is scientifically proven to work for 98% of all people who snore!!"
And this one, which is dangerous to customers' health:
"Obstructive sleep apnea is another serious medical condition that this snoring device addresses."
|
| Buy from | http://www.anti-snoring-device.org/ | | Shipping from | USA, but they don't offer shipping to Australia on their website. | | Guarantee | Allegedly he will refund 110% of your money, but there's no details on what you have to do so I'm sceptical. Do you have to post it back? What's the time limit? | | Data last checked | 10th of August 2010 | | Price for 2 mouthpieces, delivered | $54.81 (that's USD 49.94 converted to Australian Dollars) | |
Somnoguard 2.0
Made in Germany by Tomed
Thicker in molar area, which provides better fit for people with
short molars. Released in 2005 (?).
|
AUD $101.64 (EURO 60.80) shipped from Germany, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.tomed.com/shopd/index.html?target=toc.html
AUD $146.88 (GBP 59.99) shipped from UK, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/shop.php Good product, but
overpriced. |
|
Somnoguard AP
Made in Germany by Tomed
Two piece design allows accurate adjustment of the jaw
advancement. Released in 2005 I think. I would say
this device is technically superior. The ability to adjust
the amount of advancement should result in greater comfort and
effectiveness, although I haven't seen any clinical trials yet.
Of course, it will be harder to clean and costs a lot more. |
Best technical design! AUD $199.70 (EURO 119.90) shipped
from Germany, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.tomed.com/shopd/index.html?target=toc.html
AUD $194.72 (GBP 79.95) shipped from UK, last checked 28th
Jan 07
http://www.quietnight.co.uk/html/somnoguard_ap.html
AUD $222.03 (USD 169.95) shipped from USA, last checked 28th
Jan 07
http://www.nosnorezone.com/order.html AUD $267.95 (GBP
109.99) shipped from UK, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/shop.php Interesting
product. If money was no object I would buy one of these.
It's not necessarily going to work better than the cheaper ones,
but it's certainly much more "cool" if you are a gadget loving
kind of person. |
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Snorer's Friend®
Made in Australia by me! |
This is my product. It's the best :) Well, I
think so anyway.
AUD $69.95 Shipped from Adelaide, Australia
or AUD $59.95 if you don't want the money back guarantee
The pack includes a free spare mouthpiece and shipping
is included.
Order yours here !
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Noiselezz
Made in Denmark by Firma Ingemarsson. These ones are a bit
different, I found the device very difficult to fit. It
seems they have just tried to come up with something different
enough to avoid patents. Haven't seen any clinical trial
results yet. |
This one arguably doesn't belong here, as it's not really a
"fit it yourself" product. You can certainly soften it in
hot water but it's not really thick enough to mould to your
teeth. I just included it because it has such a good
product photo. These guys have the funkiest packaging... here are
some pictures
 
USD 65.50 Shipped from USA, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.snoring-snoring.com/faq.htm
USD 65.50 Shipped from USA, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.nosnorezone.com
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Snore
Free
Made in Australia by Snore Free
Available since around 1999 |
This is an interesting device. In 1999 these guys
would have been up against a patent which prevented them making
a device with a "H" cross-section, so they came up with an "upside-down Y"
cross-section (see how there is not a complete channel for the
upper teeth, just one side of a channel?). Neat way around
the patent though! However, as that patent has now lapsed,
I think they should really get a new mould and use the
technically superior "H" cross-section, as it is
less likely to fall out of the wearer's mouth. Also this
device doesn't engage any molars (looks like it stops around the
canines) so discomfort in the teeth is more likely.
AUD 89.95 Shipped from Australia, last checked 28th Jan 07
http://www.snorefree.com.au/order.asp
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SnoreFree2
Made in Canada by Healthcare and Rehab Specialties |
Best Product Photo! Similar to the Noiselezz, you can't mould
it to suit your mouth. But it's still an interesting
device, and it has the best product photo!
That little loop at the back looks nasty. I guess it's
supposed to push the tongue forward, but if that doesn't make
you gag I don't know what would.
I don't think they are doing too well with them as their
website says "This is a NON-REFUNDABLE item due to health
restrictions!!". That just doesn't make sense. Read
about my refund policy
here.
AUD 82.26 (CAD 74.95) +tax +shipping Shipped from Canada,
last checked 28 Jan 07
https://secure.nl2k.ab.ca/snorefree2/
(main website is
http://www.snorefree2.com/index.shtml - looks OK with
Internet Explorer, but unusable with Firefox)
Thanks to James for finding this product! |
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Homemade M.A.D.
{image coming} |
If you are on a really tight budget, and are good with your
hands and blessed with generally good luck,
you might want to have a go at making your own M.A.D. from
sports mouthguards you can buy from a pharmacy or sports
store. I made some early prototypes this way. Sports
mouthguards in a pharmacy cost around $8 each (Feb 08) and you
need 2 so you could theoretically get a working M.A.D. for
around $16 (plus a trip to the pharmacy).
Here's the procedure I followed :
1. Mould one mouthguard to your upper teeth, then take it out
2. Mould another one to your lower teeth, and take that out.
3. Heat up the just the areas of the two mouthguards that you
want to join, by putting some hot water in a large bowl and
holding the mouthguards just barely touching the surface.
You'll need to get them reasonably pliable so you get a good
bond, but not too pliable or they'll stick together in unhelpful
ways.
4. Quickly stuff both mouthguards into your mouth, advance
your jaw to where you want it, and bite down.
That's it. Simple hey?
If you want a breathing hole you'll need to find something to
stick in between the two mouthguards when you join them (and
then remove it afterwards, to leave a hole). I never
attempted that so I can't give you much guidance there.
I'd say use something smoothish, or you'll have a very hard time
pulling it out after it's cooled.
I'm not sure if that sounds hard or easy to you. I
found that it usually goes wrong in one way or another, but with
extreme perseverance (and a lot of wasted mouthguards) I
eventually got a few to work. |
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