Dr Rosskelly,

I just wanted to thank you, and your staff for taking care of my snoring, and sleep apnea problems, the appliance seems to be working great. My wife will now sleep in the same bed with me, and we are both very happy that we do not have to listen to the c-pap machine all night. I seem to have more energy during the day, and I believe it is because I am getting a better night's sleep. I went on a bird hunting trip with one of my old hunting partner's that I have hunted with for over 15 years, and he could not believe the difference, now he is the loud snorer in the motel room, so I recommended he get an appliance, and he is going to check it out. Again I would like to thank you for possibly saving my marriage, and health.

Thank you,
Ed

Dear Doctor Roskelley,

I was referred to you for a dental appliance to help me with my snoring and sleep apnea which had been diagnosed as mild to moderate. After conferring with you and examining the two appliance types that you have available, I chose the two-piece, non-hinged model.

I have been using the appliance for approximately one month with positive results. During the month I've had the appliance; I have reached what seems to be my optimal jaw displacement of approximately seven (7) millimeters. I can still extend my jaw forward approximately two to three more millimeters. At this level it does take my jaw approximately three hours to gradually reset to its normal position. Of course, with the plastic "resetting" mouthpiece, I can make my jaw reset much sooner, but my activity pattern does not require me to reset my jaw quickly.

Since I always fall asleep much sooner than my wife, she has been able to give me detailed feedback on how the appliance has improved my breathing and sleep. My apnea has essentially been eliminated. My wife says that I occasionally experience very mild snoring only when I am in a particular position on my right side. But she says it is nothing like before. On the other hand, the apnea is still absent, even on my right side.

When I wake up in the morning my blood pressure has been registering approximately 10 points lower at both ends of the scale, putting me well into the "normal" range. I still have to use my blood pressure medication, but the same dose now lowers my blood pressure much more than when I had the apnea.  Best of all, I wake up rested, refreshed, and energetic in the morning. Whereas I used to wake up to my alarm in the morning, feeling tired and groggy, I now wake up before the alarm goes off and do not have to hit the "snooze" button or linger in bed, feeling tired.
Thank you for improving my life and my health.

I am so thankful for the brilliant minds that finally allowed the dental profession in on the process for solving sleep apnea problems....
After a sleep study I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and given the typical solution of a C-PAP (or in MY case a V-PAP) machine that you are attached to at night. With pressures of 28125—I was expected to sleep blissfully through the night with my "cure". After 4 months of trying to keep a mask on my face I gave up on this "cure" and put MY $7,000 machine in the top of my closet (where it still resides.. .because no one wants it—even for free).

I continued to be sleepless and miserable From April to juIy. In June I was given information about the TAP appliance. I went to my dentist who was willing to try and make me a TAP appliance, In her defense she was not well versed in the making of this appliance but I couldn't afford -the dentist who was and I had this TAP for the 2 1/2 years. The TAP was uncomfortable and hurt my teeth but I wore it about 3 days a week and then rested my teeth the other 4 days. I also have a chronic cough so on nights when I coughed I was also out of it due to the fear that I would break my jaw with the TAP locked into position. Needless to say I was still tired, unable to keep caught up with my sleep, and generally falling asleep everywhere on the off 4 days.

Then I  was referred to a dentist introduced me  to the herbst appliance. It is a very simple moutppdevice that doesnt confine me to a  machine or lock my teeth in place. The Herbst has been a wonder.. .and I am sleeping at night...NOT during the day. I am able to use it 7 days a week and have no teeth discomfort; have used it when I've had a cold, and best of all I am abie`to cough when I have to. I even commented to a colleague in a very boring meeting "that I can't even Keep myself busy Keeping myself awake" because I was alert and functioning ince I am supposed to I no longer fall asleep at stoplights, during movies, or tawing with friends.

Love my "greenie" (the Herbst comes in colors) and after years Of feeling tired and lethargic I am once again a Functioning person with the energy to do the things I want and need to do.
ThanK you Dr-.12PSKelly For your time.and expertise and For giving me a devise I can actually use-. you. and your wonderful assistants are all caring professionals with MY health in mind and WOW is it great to be awake!

Hello Dr. Rosskelley:

I don't know if you have heard yet, but I am coming in for a follow-up visit to have a couple of adjustments made to my appliance. My gums have been a little sore around the base of the my teeth, and we're thinking I might need to adjust the bottom jaw forward a little more too. So... I haven't written up my final thoughts on the appliance yet because of these issues.
I have felt some improvement in my energy level so far, but not as much as I had expected. With blood sugar issues, though, I still have to be a little careful what I eat, or I wil crash hard. I have been able to stay up later in the evenings than before without feelirn exhausted. I have even had some difficulty taking naps during the day on the weekends. = also don't feel the sense of desparation for a nap during the day like I used to feel. S all of that is improvement, but I think there's more to come.
My snoring had all but stopped, but I woke myself up the other night as I was drifting of: with a little snort. :-) LOL! I think the adjustment to the lower jaw will fix that, though, and I'm hopeful for more restful results as well.
I just wanted to give you a quick update and let you know my status so far. I have every intention of sending you a full report when I feel like I have everything working like it should.
Warm Regards,

Two and a half years ago, after years of headaches and exhaustion, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea by Dr. Troyer. It was a relief to finally know what could be the cause of my symptoms. After a year of attempting to manage the apnea by attempting different sleeping positions, I decided it was time for a more aggressive treatment. I began sleeping with a CPAP machine and mask.
The CPAP machine did help me get better rest. I found I would sleep through nights, which was an experience that I had not had in many years. I found as well that I no longer required as many hours of sleep at night to feel more rested than how I had felt before using the CPAP. The treatment was successful for me, but with three difficulties.

In order to sleep with the CPAP, in addition to the mask I needed to wear a chin strap as well. This was placing a lot of pressure on my Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ) and causing me to no longer be able to chew. This was occurring only on the right TMJ, as I had suffered a previous injury to that side nine years ago. Additionally, I was experiencing nearly constant nasal and sinus congestion. The congestion was being treated by a nasal steroid and separate decongestant, but the symptoms persisted. Finally, I was awakened occasionally by aerophagia. This was a side effect of the air pressure required to hold my airway open.

Dr. Troyer suggested some alternative treatment possibilities which I explored. One of them was a visit to Dr. Roskelley. Dr. Roskelley suggested an oral appliance which would adjust my jaw position while I sleep. He explained that it would help open up the airway by keeping my tongue and other soft tissue from collapsing into the airway while I sleep. I decided to give the appliance a try.
I have been sleeping with the oral appliance for two and a half months now, and have found very good results with it. I have put my CPAP away, and now only sleep with the appliance. I have found that I sleep with better results than with the CPAP, including a marked decrease in aerophagia and my congestion has cleared up too. My rest is equal to the treatment using CPAP, but I am not awakened as often by the intrusiveness of wearing the mask. The oral appliance has been easy to adapt to, and within a week I found I had good results.
Another benefit for me personally is the ability to sleep on my stomach, which I never could manage to do while wearing the CPAP gear. I prefer to sleep on my side or stomach, and the appliance allows either one with ease, and no discomfort.

The one disadvantage of the appliance for me has been some TMJ pain and jaw repositioning difficulty. It is not as severe as what I experienced due to the chin strap, but there is a constant adjustment period throughout the day as my jaw wants to remain in a more forward position than what I was previously accustomed to. With chewing gum, I can normally adjust my jaw into a more suitable eating position. The pain is decreased from the chin strap, but it still requires some effort to adjust the jaw back, but at least it is possible to do. With the chin strap, there were days where I could never chew correctly.

Overall, I am happy with the way the appliance has worked for me. I have recommended it to three of my friends who have sleep apnea as well, and I hope that if they choose to try it, it will work well for them also:

I do a fair amount of traveling and camping and found that hauling my C-PAP around had become very much of a hassle. I decided to purchase the sleep apnea appliance to make these two activities easier for myself, never intending that it would replace my C-PAP unit for normal, everyday use. For me, the only downside of using my C-PAP on a daily basis was the marks that were left on my face from the strap. With my 60-year-old skin, the marks wouldn't gc away for several hours. The night I brought my new appliance home, I slept with it in my mouth to make sure it was adjusted properly. I've never used my C-PAP since.

Immediately, I noticed that I woke up a lot fewer times during the night. When I used th€ C-PAP, I would be awakened because of the hissing of air that would occur when the seal or my mask would break or my mouth would be open. I never could get used to the chin strap that was designed to keep my mouth shut so I quit wearing it.

I spend most of the night on my stomach and I could never find a perfect position for my head while wearing either the over-the-nose-mask or the in-the-nose mask. With the inthe-mouth appliance it doesn't matter how I sleep or in what position my head is. Friends I've traveled and camped with over the years have told me that I quit breathing during the night, but I'd never paid it any attention. In the course of diagnosing my sleep issues, sleep apnea was verified. I wish I'd paid attention to my friends. I have loved my C-PAP because it has been a lifesaver for me. My energy level is back to normal. I don't feel like I need a nap every afternoon. As I've said to Dr. Troyer, "It's given me back my life." I've been truly grateful for my C-PAP.

Originally, I sought help because I couldn't get to sleep at night and I felt constantly tired during the day. Unfortunately, my C-PAP never resolved the falling asleep issue. It seems the in-mouth appliance has. I don't want to jinx the run of good luck I've been experiencing with falling asleep sooner since starting to wear the device ... but I'm hoping it will continue forever.

My energy level had already been restored with the C-PAP, so I haven't noticed a difference in this regard since starting to wear the in-mouth appliance. Originally, I experienced TMJ pain with the new device. Dr. Roskelley was able to adjust the device anc I no longer have pain.

I am truly grateful for all the relief I experienced with the C-PAP and I'm likewise relieved that now I can fall asleep as well.

I do a fair amount of traveling and camping and found that hauling my C-PAP around had become very much of a hassle. I decided to purchase the sleep apnea appliance to make these two activities easier for myself, never intending that it would replace my C-PAP unit for normal, everyday use. For me, the only downside of using my C-PAP on a daily basis was the marks that were left on my face from the strap. With my -60-year-old skin, the marks wouldn't gc away for several hours. The night I brought my new appliance home, I slept with it in my mouth to make sure it was adjusted properly. I've never used my C-PAP since.

Immediately, I noticed that I woke up a lot fewer times during the night. When I used thE C-PAP, I would be awakened because of the hissing of air that would occur when the seal or my mask would break or my mouth would be open. I never could get used to the chin strap that was designed to keep my mouth shut so I quit wearing it.

I spend most of the night on my stomach and I could never find a perfect position for my head while wearing either the over-the-nose-mask or the in-the-nose mask. With the inthe-mouth appliance it doesn't matter how I sleep or in what position my head is. Friends I've traveled and camped with over the years have told me that I quit breathing during the night, but I'd never paid it any attention. In the course of diagnosing my sleep issues, sleep apnea was verified. I wish I'd paid attention to my friends. I have loved my C-PAP because it has been a lifesaver for me. My energy level is back to normal. I don't feel like I need a nap every afternoon. As I've said to Dr. Troyer, "It's given me back my life." I've been truly grateful for my C-PAP.

Originally, I sought help because I couldn't get to sleep at night and I felt constantly tired during the day. Unfortunately, my C-PAP never resolved the falling asleep issue. It seems the in-mouth appliance has. I don't want to jinx the run of good luck I've been experiencing with falling asleep sooner since starting to wear the devicembut I'm hoping it will continue forever.
My energy level had already been restored with the C-PAP, so I haven't noticed a difference in this regard since starting to wear the in-mouth appliance. Originally, I experienced TMJ pain with the new device. Dr. Roskelley was able to adjust the device and I no longer have pain.

I am truly grateful for all the relief I experienced with the C-PAP and I'm likewise relieved that now I can fall asleep as well.

Ten years ago I was diagnosed with sleep apnea just as we, my wife Jan, myself and our children, were
moving back to Idaho. At the time I got tested the sleep apnea had gotten to the point that Jan and I would start out in the same bed but when I would wake up in the morning she would be out on the couch because she could get any sleep. I slept through the night but when I woke up I felt worse than when I went to bed. I was always tired.  When we arrived in Idaho it only got worse and eventually we ended up with separate bedrooms. After about three years of this I was tested again here in Idaho and got a CPAP machine. For a while it worked and I felt great and rested. We tried to move back into the same room but the machine also kept Jan awake so it was back to separate bedrooms. This went on for a couple of years; I felt better using the machine but still had to sleep alone. But, after using it for a couple of years a problem arouse. I started feeling claustrophobic when I had the machine's mask on. I would start out with it on, but I would wake up in the morning with it on the floor and feeling tired again. Unknowingly I would rip the mask off in the night and eventually Ijust stopped using it altogether.

This went by for a few more years; I always feeling tired and sleeping alone. Then two of my children needed braces and you came into our lives. Jan was talking to you about my situation on one of the kids visits, this talk resulted in my life being change dramatically for the better. A few days after this discussion you fitted me with a new dental device for snoring and sleep apnea and a week or so later I had the new device. I wore it the first night and woke up feeling great and well rested. Although the device looks like it might be uncomfortable it is not and I love that I can talk and move around with it in. I had traveled home from Garden Valley after a show that evening and didn't arrive until the middle of the night so I slept on the couch as not to wake Jan. When sbe got up in the morning she was amazed that I was sleeping and the house wasn't rocking from my snoring. The next night we really put it to the test and slept in the same bed. It was a miracle, the next morning I woke up feeling rested with my lovely wife by my side feeling the same.
I used the device nightly for the next couple of weeks and always felt great when I would wake up. Jan and my schedules didn't allow us to be in the same place for the next couple of weeks but when we did finally get back together we tried it out again by sleeping in the same bed. he first night she said I snored a little but that it was not bad enough to keep her awake. I made a minor adjustment to the device and the next night she said I didn't snore at all.

A couple of weeks have gone by since then and we have been sleeping together ever since. I have had to make one more adjustment to the device but it truly has changed our lives.
What a difference this little device has made in my life. I feel much better and get to have time with my wife that I have greatly missed over the last ten years. I can't thank you enough for this. I have been and will continue to recommend your services to any and all who will listen. Thanks again and God bless.

As you know, I suffer from severe sleep apnea (I'd stop breathing 200+ times per night w/a low of 72% oxygen saturation). I spent a year trying to make CPAP work (really... 365+ attempts). What a barbaric device that is! I like to call it my $1500 boat anchor. I take my hat off to anyone who can sleep with that wind tunnel strapped to their grill. I'd given up on the CPAP and thought my poor wife and I would just have to deal with the snoring and restless nights.

I'm pleased to say that since you fit me with my new dental appliance, I've had two solid weeks of improved sleep. Not only has my wife stopped poking me to quiet my snoring, I've started having wildly vivid dreams. All these years I thought I just couldn't remember my dreams. Now I'm waking up every day with the memory of a new adventure that I had in my sleep. Previously when asked if I dreamt in color, my response was "I don't think so" because I could never remember. I can now tell you with absolute certainty...I dream in high definition Technicolor w/surround sound! I never knew REM sleep could be so much fun.

I'm not saying that sleeping with a mouth full of acrylic is ideal, but I am getting used to it. I can tell you from my own experience that it's a whole lot better than snoring or trying to sleep with a CPAP machine running all night long.
Thanks for your great work!