Anti-Snoring Devices UK: MAD Fabrication for Dentists

Anti-snoring devices, mandibular advancement devices (MADs) prescribed by a dentist and fabricated to fit one patient, are a different appliance from a night guard, made for a different job. This guide covers what a MAD is, how it differs from a bruxism splint, how Flora designs and fabricates one, and what a UK practice needs to know about the regulatory side before prescribing.

What Is a Mandibular Advancement Device, and How Does It Differ From a Night Guard?

A mandibular advancement device holds the lower jaw in a forward position during sleep. Moving the mandible forward pulls the tongue and soft tissue at the back of the throat away from the airway, which reduces the vibration that causes snoring and, in mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea, keeps the airway more open. That is a mechanical, positional job.

A night guard or occlusal splint does something else entirely. It is built to protect the teeth from the forces of bruxism, grinding and clenching, by giving the jaw a flat or guided surface to close against. It does not reposition the mandible forward, and it is not designed to manage an airway. The two appliances are prescribed for different conditions, built to different specifications, and should never be assumed interchangeable. We cover night guard and splint design separately in our Night Guards & Splints guide; this page is specifically about anti-snoring and mandibular advancement appliances.

Some MAD designs include an element of titration, small incremental adjustment of the advancement after delivery, which needs to be planned into the prescription and the follow-up appointment, not treated as an afterthought.

Fabrication and Materials

Flora fabricates MADs from records supplied by the prescribing dentist: full-arch impressions or a digital scan of both arches, a protrusive bite registration at the prescribed advancement, and a clear note of the device type requested (one-piece or two-piece, adjustable or fixed). We accept digital cases from iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, Medit and Dexis, along with conventional impressions.

The appliance body is milled or thermoformed from a medical-grade dual-laminate or hard/soft acrylic combination, chosen for retention, comfort against the mucosa and durability under nightly wear. Two-piece designs use a connector mechanism that fixes the protrusive position while still allowing some lateral movement, which most patients tolerate better over months of continuous use. As with any removable appliance, the fit depends entirely on the accuracy of the impression or scan and the bite registration we are given, so a poor protrusive record is the most common reason a MAD needs a remake.

MHRA, DAMAS and GDC: Regulatory Status

An anti-snoring device made to an individual patient’s prescription is a custom-made medical device under UK medical device regulation, and Flora manufactures it accordingly. We are DAMAS and DLA registered, our technicians are GDC-registered (GDC 216535), and every custom-made device we produce is documented in line with MHRA requirements for custom-made devices, including the statement of conformity that accompanies the finished appliance. Practices should keep that documentation with the patient record, the same as for any other custom-made prosthesis.

Turnaround

Mandibular advancement devices run on the same schedule as our other custom appliances: 10 working days from receipt of a complete case, records, prescription and protrusive bite included. Cases travel by tracked courier or post to and from practices across England; there is no in-person collection. If a case is incomplete, most commonly a missing or inaccurate protrusive registration, we contact the practice before fabrication rather than guessing.

Ready to send a case, or want to check your first one is a good fit? Take the next step and submit your case details, digital or physical.

Frequently Asked Questions