Summary: Vivos is a non-invasive, non-surgical treatment for sleep apnea and other airway issues. The DNA appliance is a removable oral device worn 12 to 16 hours per day that gradually reshapes the upper jaw and opens the airway. It’s FDA-cleared and used by sleep dentists for adults with mild to moderate apnea, snoring, and airway-related conditions.
What this article covers
- What Vivos is and how it differs from CPAP
- How the DNA appliance works
- Who is a candidate for Vivos therapy
- What the treatment timeline looks like
- Results, expectations, and what Vivos won’t fix
- Getting evaluated for Vivos at Breathing Wellness Orlando
- Frequently asked questions
Most sleep apnea treatments aim to compensate for a narrow or collapsed airway. CPAP forces air through it. A mandibular advancement device holds the lower jaw forward. Surgery removes tissue that obstructs it. Vivos takes a different approach: it reshapes the structures that caused the narrow airway in the first place.
This guide explains what Vivos is, how the DNA appliance works, who it’s designed for, and what to expect from treatment. It’s written for adults considering Vivos as an alternative to CPAP or as part of a broader airway-centered approach.
What Vivos is and how it differs from CPAP
Vivos Therapeutics makes a family of FDA-cleared oral appliances designed to treat sleep-disordered breathing by remodeling the upper airway. The DNA appliance is the flagship adult device. Unlike CPAP, which keeps the airway open by force every night, Vivos aims to create a permanently wider airway through gradual changes to the maxilla and the surrounding structures.
Vivos is a system rather than a single product. It works alongside breathing retraining, myofunctional therapy, and other airway-centered approaches. Patients at Breathing Wellness Orlando use it as part of comprehensive sleep apnea and snoring care that addresses why the airway became narrow, not just how to bypass the problem at night.
How the DNA appliance works
The DNA appliance is a custom-fit, removable oral device worn 12 to 16 hours a day, including overnight. Its design applies gentle, controlled pressure to specific points along the palate. Over months of consistent wear, the upper jaw widens and the palatal arch develops more room for the tongue to rest in a natural position.
More room for the tongue means less crowding at the back of the throat. Less crowding means a wider, more stable airway during sleep. This is the same logic behind palatal expansion and airway development, applied to adults whose facial bones were once thought too mature for non-surgical change. Vivos research has shown meaningful changes to airway volume in adults who complete treatment.
Who is a candidate for Vivos therapy
Vivos is most often used for adults with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, chronic snoring, and other airway-related issues. Candidacy depends on the structure of the airway, the position of the jaws, the condition of the teeth, and the patient’s commitment to wearing the device consistently. It is not appropriate for every case.
A sleep, breathing, and airway evaluation for adults determines whether Vivos is a realistic option. The evaluation looks at airway anatomy, sleep study results, jaw relationships, and dental health. Patients with severe apnea, certain jaw conditions, or specific dental issues may need a different path. The evaluation gives a clear yes or no rather than a guess.
What the treatment timeline looks like
Vivos treatment is a process, not a single appointment. Most adult cases take 12 to 24 months. The first phase involves the airway evaluation, imaging, bite impressions, and fabrication of the custom DNA appliance. Once the device is fitted, the patient wears it daily according to the dentist’s protocol.
Follow-up visits happen every few weeks at first, then every month or two as treatment progresses. The dentist adjusts the appliance to guide the changes happening in the palate and arch. Imaging during treatment confirms that the airway is widening as expected. Some patients are also doing breathing or myofunctional exercises during this time, depending on the case.
Results, expectations, and what Vivos won’t fix
Adults who complete Vivos treatment often report better sleep quality, less snoring, more daytime energy, and reduced reliance on CPAP. Some patients are able to discontinue CPAP after treatment, depending on the severity of their original apnea and how the airway responded. Others use Vivos alongside CPAP to lower the pressure needed for comfortable use.
Vivos is not a guaranteed cure for severe apnea. It is not appropriate for patients who cannot commit to the daily wear schedule. It does not replace the need for sleep medicine. It is a structural treatment for a structural problem, and it works best for patients whose airway issues are tied to how the jaw, palate, and oral structures developed.
Getting evaluated for Vivos at Breathing Wellness Orlando
The first step is an airway evaluation. This is not a sales pitch. It’s a clinical assessment that may or may not conclude that Vivos is the right path for you. Some patients leave the evaluation with a clear recommendation for Vivos. Others leave with a recommendation for a different treatment, a different specialist, or a sleep study before any treatment decisions are made.
If Vivos is right for you, the evaluation moves into the planning phase. If it isn’t, the team will say so and outline what makes more sense for your case. A free adult sleep and airway self-screener can give you a preliminary read on whether an evaluation is worth scheduling.
