Klearway™ Appliance
Klearway™ is a fully-adjustable oral appliance used for the treatment or snoring and mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Fabricated of thermoactive acrylic, KlearwayTM becomes pliable for easy insertion and confirms securely to the dentition for an excellent fit while significantly decreasing soft tissue and tooth discomfort. Small increments of forward lower jaw advancement are initiated by the patient under the direction of Dr. D'Ascoli and this helps avoid rapid jaw movements that can cause significant patient discomfort. Once warmed under hot water and inserted, the acrylic resin hardens as it cools to body temperature and firmly affixes itself to both arches. Lateral and vertical jaw movement is permitted which enables the patent to yawn, swallow, and drink water without dislodging the appliance.
Features of the Klearway™ Appliance
Klearway™ offers several distinct advantages over other appliances currently available on the market. It works by keeping the teeth together and holding the lower jaw and tongue forward during sleep to open the airway. Klearway™ possesses excellent retention characteristics designed to keep the appliance in the mouth during all the various complex jaw movements which can occur during sleep. Klearway™ provides full occlusal coverage of both arches and is very carefully designed not to encroach on tongue space. Furthermore, it facilitates the very slow and gradual movement of the mandible by permitting the patient to adjust the appliance according to his or her own comfort level with the guidance of the attending dentist. This fully-adjustable oral appliance is much more comfortable to wear than a single jaw position appliance which often may require time-consuming and expensive remakes to place the mandible in the ideal forward position required to adequately open the airway. Fabricated of thermoactive acrylic, Klearway™ becomes pliable for easy insertion and confirms securely to the dentition for an excellent fit while significantly decreasing soft tissue and tooth discomfort. A total of 44 forward positions are available in increments of 0.25 mm which covers a full 11.0 mm range of A/P movement. Such small increments help avoid rapid forward jaw movements that can cause significant patient discomfort. Klearway™ allows the patient to feel less restricted and thus less claustrophobic - a sensation experienced by a small number of patients during the first few nights of wear. Once warmed under hot water and inserted, the acrylic resin hardens as it cools to body temperature and firmly affixes itself to both arches. Lateral and vertical jaw movement is permitted which enables the patent to yawn, swallow, and drink water without dislodging the appliance. Patients with bruxism are also very comfortable in this appliance since it does not prevent jaw movements during sleep. In 1995, the Klearway™ appliance was invented at, trademarked for, and applied to the FDA for market approval by, The University of British Columbia. Patents have been obtained by the university both in North America and internationally and specific licensees have been assigned the rights to manufacture the appliance worldwide.