Oral appliance for snoring and sleep apnea consists of a oral device that is placed in your mouth during sleep that can help in treatment of snoring and OSA for adults.  They are not recommended for use in children. 

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There are two general types of oral appliances.  

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1.  Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)

MAD is the most common type that is used.  They look similar to sports mouthguards and they work by moving the lower jaw forward.  The attached soft tissues come forward with it thereby enlarging the size of the airway in the back of the throat.  They use upper and lower teeth as "anchors" to hold the lower jaw forward and keep it from collapsing back during sleep.   There are literally hundreds of different designs. 

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2.  Tongue Retaining Device (TRD)

TRD does exactly that.  It's a device that holds (retains) the tongue.  Most TRD devices uses a suction type device that suctions onto the forward part of the tongue keeping it from collapsing to the back of the throat. 

The major downside of a TRD is that many people understandably have difficulties due to oral/tongue area discomfort. 

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I will focus this section on MAD as they are far more commonly used compared to TRD. 

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Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) can be purchased online or can be custom fabricated by an oral appliance provider (some dentists, ENT surgeons, and oral surgeons may offer this service)

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Pros

MAD can be a reasonable option for treatment of snoring and mild to moderate OSA.  

Advantages of a MAD include

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• Generally effective in most cases.

• Convenient and very portable.

• Alternative treatment option if CPAP is not effective or isn't an option.

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Cons

The main disadvantage is that a MAD uses teeth as anchors to move and hold the lower jaw forward.  The constant force on the teeth will cause teeth movement in essentially all patients over time.  For some people, the movement maybe favorable, for others it can be unfavorable.  In contrast to CPAP where long term use is very safe and unlikely to cause harm, the longer you use a MAD, more potential oral-dental harm it may cause.  

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• Teeth movement, occlusion shift with long term use.

• May harm the teeth and dental restorations.

• Dental or jaw muscle pain (generally temporary/self limited).

• Excessive salivation (generally temporary/self limited).

• Some will find it uncomfortable to use.

• Requires care and maintenance of the appliance.

• May exacerbate TMJ dysfunction.

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