Oral pressure therapy (OPT) is a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that uses negative pressure in the mouth to shift the soft palate and tongue forward.
[1] The negative pressure is created by a bedside console connected by a small tube to a mouthpiece worn inside the mouth during sleep.
[2] While oral pressure therapy resulted in some benefit, most people were not fully treated by its use.
[2] Oral pressure therapy should not be used to treat central sleep apnea or by anyone who has a severe respiratory disorder (e.g., severe lung disease, pneumothorax), has loose teeth or advanced periodontal disease, or is under the age of 18.
One oral pressure therapy device has been cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration for sale in the United States with a prescription (the Winx sleep therapy system).