Jaw mouthpiece vs tongue device
Move the jaw, or hold the tongue? Choosing between the two main kinds of anti-snoring mouthpiece.
Quick verdict
Choose a jaw mouthpiece if pushing your jaw forward quietened your snore. Choose a tongue device if holding your tongue forward helped more, or if dental work rules out jaw devices. Tongue devices need clear nasal breathing.
Choose VitalSleep if
VitalSleep Mouthpiece
- ✓Pushing your jaw forward made your snore quieter
- ✓You have healthy teeth to anchor a mouthpiece
- ✓You sometimes breathe through your mouth at night
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Choose Good Morning Snore Solution if
Good Morning Snore Solution
- ✓Holding your tongue forward made your snore quieter
- ✓Dental work, dentures or jaw problems make jaw devices uncomfortable
- ✓You can breathe easily through your nose
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Most anti-snoring mouthpieces fall into one of two families, and they solve slightly different problems.
Jaw mouthpieces, also called mandibular advancement devices, fit over your teeth and hold your lower jaw slightly forward. Because the tongue is attached to the jaw, moving the jaw forward also pulls the base of the tongue away from the back of the throat. They're the most common kind of anti-snoring device. VitalSleep is one example; ZQuiet, SnoreRx, SnoreMeds and Somnofit-S work the same basic way.
Tongue devices, also called tongue-retaining or tongue-stabilising devices, don't move your jaw at all. Instead, the tip of your tongue sits in a small soft bulb, and gentle suction holds it forward so it can't fall back into your throat. The Good Morning Snore Solution is one example.
What does the research say? Across studies, jaw devices tend to show stronger results for snoring than tongue devices alone. In one randomised controlled trial, snoring was reported to be eliminated in about 41% of people using a jaw device, compared with about 27% of people using a tongue device. That doesn't make tongue devices a bad choice. It means they're usually the better option only when a jaw device isn't suitable, or when your snoring clearly comes from the tongue.
The self-tests from Chapter 4 are the best guide here. If your snore got quieter when you pushed your jaw forward, a jaw device makes sense. If it got quieter when you held your tongue between your teeth, a tongue device may suit you better.
Practical differences matter too. Jaw devices need healthy teeth to grip, so they can be a poor fit for people with dentures, many crowns or implants, loose teeth or jaw joint pain. Tongue devices don't rely on your teeth, which makes them an option for some of those people. But because your tongue sits partly outside your lips, you need to breathe comfortably through your nose, and the sensation takes some getting used to.
Either way, give it a week or two before judging, and talk to a dentist first if you have any doubts about your teeth or jaw. If you have any signs of sleep apnea, see a doctor before trying either kind.
How we compare: this guide is based on each manufacturer's published design and features, and on how each type of device works. It is not a hands-on test, and it isn't medical advice. Not sure which type you need? Take the quiz.