Adjustable sleep apnea oral appliance

An oral appliance for treating snoring and/or sleep apnea in a subject, comprising:

• (1) an upper tray having an anterior portion, a posterior portion, a right side, a left side, a buccal side, a lingual side, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the upper tray comprising:
• (a) a receptacle bounded by the inner surface of the upper tray;
• (b) a right side upper bite pad connected at an upper end to the lower surface of the right side of the upper tray, wherein the bite pad comprises a lower surface, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, a right side, and a left side, the bite pad extending anteriorly from a posterior portion of the right side of the upper tray, wherein the lower surface of the bite pad is lower than the lower, coronal surface of an anterior portion of the right side upper tray;
• (c) a right side insert comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, a right side, and a left side, wherein the upper surface faces and/or contacts the lower surface of the right side of the upper tray anteriorly with respect to the right side upper bite pad, and wherein the posterior surface is configured to be reversibly attached to the anterior surface of the right side upper bite pad;
• (d) a left side upper bite pad connected at an upper end to the lower surface of the left side of the upper tray, wherein the bite pad comprises a lower surface, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, a right side, and a left side, the bite pad extending anteriorly from a posterior portion of the left side of the upper tray, wherein the lower surface of the bite pad is lower than the lower, coronal surface of an anterior portion of the left side upper tray;
• (e) a left side insert comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, a right side, and a left side, wherein the upper surface faces and/or contacts the lower surface of the left side of the upper tray anteriorly with respect to the left side upper bite pad, and wherein the posterior surface is configured to be reversibly attached to the anterior surface of the left side upper bite pad;
• and
• (f) a buccally facing anterior right side anchor on the outer buccal surface of the anterior portion of the right side of the upper tray, and a buccally facing anterior left side anchor on the outer buccal surface of the anterior portion of the left side of the upper tray;
• and
• (b) a lower tray having an anterior portion, a posterior portion, a right side, a left side, a buccal side, a lingual side, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the lower tray comprising:
• (a) a receptacle bounded by the inner surface of the upper tray;
• (b) a right side lower bite pad connected at a lower end to the upper surface of the right side of the lower tray, wherein the bite pad comprises an upper surface, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, a right side, and a left side, the bite pad extending posteriorly from an anterior portion of the right side of the lower tray, wherein the upper surface of the bite pad is higher than the upper, coronal surface of a posterior portion of the right side lower tray;
• (c) a left side lower bite pad connected at a lower end to the upper surface of the left side of the upper tray, wherein the bite pad comprises an upper surface, an anterior surface, a posterior surface, a right side, and a left side, the bite pad extending posteriorly from an anterior portion of the left side of the lower tray, wherein the upper surface of the bite pad is higher than the upper, coronal surface of a posterior portion of the left side lower tray;
• (d) a buccally facing anterior right side anchor on the outer buccal surface of the anterior portion of the right side of the lower tray, and a buccally facing anterior left side anchor on the outer buccal surface of the anterior portion of the left side of the lower tray;
• and
• (e) a buccally facing posterior right side anchor on the outer buccal surface of the posterior portion of the right side of the lower tray, and a buccally facing posterior left side anchor on the outer buccal surface of the posterior portion of the left side of the lower tray,
• wherein the anterior surface of the right side insert comprises an engagement surface which contacts the posterior surface of the right side lower bite pad, and wherein the anterior surface of the left side insert comprises an engagement surface which contacts the posterior surface of the left side lower bite pad, thereby limiting the forward positioning of the upper tray with respect to the lower tray, thereby alleviating snoring and/or apnea when the oral appliance is used by a subject;
• and
• wherein the receptacles of the upper tray and the lower tray are each configured to receive and retain an orthodontic tray, or wherein the receptacles of the upper tray and the lower tray are each configured to reposition one or more teeth of a subject and/or to change the configuration of a subject's mandible and/or maxilla when the appliance is worn by the subject.