How Much Does a Snoring Mouthguard Cost in Australia?
Quick Answer: In Australia a custom snoring mouthguard, properly called a mandibular advancement splint, usually costs between $2,000 and $2,500. At my clinic that fee is all-inclusive with no hidden costs. It covers your assessment, a digital scan of your teeth, the custom-made device, the fitting and every adjustment visit through the first 12 months. Private health extras often rebate part of it under dental item 984, and we claim it on the spot with HICAPS.
The snoring mouthguard cost most people quote me from a chemist shelf and the cost of the device I actually fit are two different conversations, and confusing them is where a lot of money gets wasted. I am Dr Andre Schertel, Dentist, and I run Peninsula Snore Clinic in Mt Eliza. I have worn one of these devices myself since I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea and could not tolerate CPAP, so I will give you my version, including where the money goes and what the funding actually covers.
What You Are Paying For
A snoring mouthguard, properly called a mandibular advancement splint or oral appliance, is a custom device worn over your teeth at night. It holds your lower jaw slightly forward to keep the airway open and stop the soft tissue vibration that makes the noise. [1]
When you pay for a custom appliance, you are not just buying a piece of moulded plastic. You are paying for an assessment of whether the device suits you at all, a digital scan of your teeth, a device made to those records by a dental laboratory, the fitting, and the weeks of gradual adjustment that get it working. That process is the reason a custom device works and a boil-and-bite from the chemist usually does not.
The Snoring Mouthguard Cost Range in Australia
Across Australia a custom mandibular advancement splint commonly runs somewhere between about $1,500 and $3,500, depending on the device, the clinician and what the fee includes. Ready-made devices from a pharmacy or online sell for $30 to a few hundred dollars, which looks like a bargain until you read the next section.
At Peninsula Snore Clinic a custom appliance is typically in the range of $2,000 to $2,500. That covers your assessment, the custom-made device, the fitting, and the titration visits to get it adjusted to where it controls your snoring. I will always give you the specific figure at your consultation before anything is made, so there are no surprises. The fee is all-inclusive: no hidden costs, and the adjustment visits through your first 12 months are part of it.
What Makes One Device Cost More Than Another
The snoring mouthguard cost is not a single number because these are not all the same device. A few things move it:
- The design. There is a range of appliance platforms, and I match the design to the patient rather than fitting everyone the same device. A more complex mechanism, or a design chosen to work around crowns, bridges or missing teeth, costs more to make.
- The laboratory work. A custom device is manufactured to a digital scan of your teeth by a dental laboratory. That lab fee is built into the price and is part of why a custom device is not chemist money.
- The clinical time. Fitting is the start, not the end. The weeks of gradual adjustment, and the reviews that keep the device working and check your bite and jaw, are real appointments and real chair time.
- Your own mouth. Healthy teeth and gums make for a straightforward fit. Existing dental work, gum problems or jaw joint issues add assessment and sometimes preparatory work before an appliance is appropriate.
None of this is upselling. It is the difference between a device that is made for your mouth and adjusted until it works, and one that is sold in a box in one size.
Why the Cheap Option Usually Costs More
Here is the part the price tag hides. In a randomised trial comparing custom and ready-made devices, the custom appliance achieved a complete treatment response in 64% of patients against 24% for the ready-made one, and treatment failed outright in 4% of custom cases versus 36% of ready-made ones. Patients also wore the custom device more nights per week and more hours per night. [2] The clinical guideline says the same thing: use a custom, titratable appliance over a non-custom one. [1]
So the cheap device is not a cheaper version of the same result. For most people it is a different, poorer result, and often no result at all. A $200 device that ends up in the bedside drawer after a fortnight is the most expensive dollar-per-night you will ever spend.
Does Medicare Cover Snoring Mouthguard Cost?
No. Medicare does not rebate the oral appliance itself, because it is a dental service and adult dental treatment sits outside Medicare. [3]
Medicare does help with the diagnostic side. If your GP suspects obstructive sleep apnoea, a Medicare rebate is available for a sleep study and for sleep physician consultations when you meet the criteria, which include an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 8 or more together with a STOP-Bang score of 3 or more, once in a 12-month period for adults. [3] We do not run sleep studies at the clinic; diagnosis is arranged through your GP or a sleep physician, and I work from the results.
What Your Health Fund Pays
If you have private health insurance with extras cover, a custom oral appliance usually attracts a rebate under your general dental, often the major dental or orthodontic category. How much comes back depends on your fund, your level of cover, how much of your annual limit is left and any waiting period, so it pays to ring your fund before you start.
Two practical tips. First, the Australian dental item numbers for these devices are 984 for a two-arch appliance; quote those when you ask your fund what you will get back. Second, we process your claim on the spot through HICAPS, so you only pay the gap on the day rather than claiming afterwards.
DVA, Work-Related Cover and Payment Plans
We accept DVA, TAC and Worksafe patients, so if your treatment is covered under one of those schemes we will work through the process with you. Payment plans are also available, because for many people this is an investment in years of better sleep rather than a one-off purchase.
Is It Worth It?
That is your call, and I am not going to pretend a custom device is right for everyone. CPAP is more effective than any oral appliance on a sleep study and remains the better choice for severe sleep apnoea. [1] But a machine you cannot tolerate does nothing, and for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnoea a device you will actually wear every night is often the more useful answer. That was true for me.
There is also the ongoing cost to weigh on your snoring mouthguard, which the sticker price hides. A CPAP machine has a real upfront cost of its own, plus masks, filters and other parts that are replaced over time, and power to run it every night. A custom oral appliance is a larger single outlay with little ongoing cost beyond cleaning and periodic review, and a typical device lasts several years with care. Neither is free; they simply spread the cost differently.
What I would not do is spend money on a guess. If you are weighing up the snoring mouthguard cost, get assessed first, find out whether an appliance suits your teeth, gums and jaw, and get a proper diagnosis through your GP if sleep apnoea is on the table.
Finding Out Your Cost
We are at 1299 Nepean Hwy, Mt Eliza, and we see patients from across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside, Western Port and Frankston, including Mornington, Mount Martha, Rosebud and Seaford. If you want a clear answer on your own situation, including what your health fund is likely to rebate, call us on 03 9775 4600 and we will talk it through before you commit to anything. If you are weighing up the device itself or the alternatives, my guides on snoring mouthguards and on how to stop snoring go deeper. The real snoring mouthguard cost is the price of a device that actually works, and that is the number worth getting right.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical or dental advice. Fees and rebates vary by individual circumstance, fund and level of cover. Individual results vary and a thorough assessment is recommended before beginning any treatment.
Snoring Mouthguard Cost: Frequently Asked Questions
Does Medicare cover the snoring mouthguard cost?
No. Medicare does not rebate the appliance itself, because it is a dental service and adult dental sits outside Medicare. Medicare does rebate the diagnostic sleep study and the sleep physician consults when you meet the criteria, and your GP can arrange those.
How much will my private health fund pay?
It depends on your fund, your level of extras cover and how much of your annual limit is left. Rebates commonly run from a few hundred dollars up to around $1,200. Quote dental item 984 when you ask, and we claim it on the spot with HICAPS.
Why does a custom device cost more than a chemist one?
You are paying for the assessment, the digital scan, a device built to your own teeth, the fitting and the adjustment visits. A boil-and-bite from the chemist skips all of that, which is why it so often ends up in the bedside drawer.
Are there payment plans?
Yes. Payment plans are available, and we accept DVA, TAC and Worksafe patients. For many people this is an investment in years of better sleep rather than a one-off purchase.
Does the fee include follow-up visits?
Yes. The $2,000 to $2,500 fee is all-inclusive, with no hidden costs and every adjustment visit through your first 12 months included. I give you the exact figure at your consultation before anything is made.
References
[1] Ramar K, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring with oral appliance therapy: an update for 2015. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2015;11(7):773-827. https://aasm.org/resources/clinicalguidelines/oral_appliance-osa.pdf
[2] Johal A, et al. Ready-made versus custom-made mandibular repositioning devices in sleep apnea: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017;13(2):175-182. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5263072/
[3] Medicare Benefits Schedule, item 12203 and explanatory note DN.1.17 (eligibility for diagnostic sleep studies). Australian Government Department of Health. https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&qt=ItemID&q=12203