SomnoMed backs MAS with 2-year warranty

SomnoMed Ltd (ASX:SOM) has backed its mass-marketed SomnoMed MAS mandibular advancement splint with a 2-year warranty. The move makes a clear statement about the quality of their manufacturing process that is now at full capacity in a new purpose-built facility that the company occupied in early December.

"The 2-year warranty on our device is the final component in our overall initial product offering to the dental community and the public at large," said Ms Tasha Markwell, Marketing Manager at SomnoMed. "It reflects our confidence in the quality of the product we're producing and communicates clearly to the many dentists already prescribing it that they can deliver it to their patients with that same assurance."

SomnoMed continue to progress their business plan that includes extensive education of dentists in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea as well as public awareness campaigns.

"We are continuing to run education courses focused on how dentists can become involved in treating snoring and OSA. The treatment program involves the formation of cells in which dentists, medical doctors and sleep physicians cooperate to provide the best solution for patients. The SomnoMed MAS is gaining acceptance in the medical community as another option in the armamentarium available to treat these problems.

"To date, mandibular advancement devices have been produced on a very ad hoc fashion by dental labs using a variety of materials. What we have done is to take a patented device that is backed by world class peer reviewed research and made it into a readily available product.

"It has been difficult in the past for dentists to obtain this style of device and when they have found a lab to make it, they subsequently questioned the science behind the device. Pressure laminating was also typically used for manufacture and we have steered away from this. The SomnoMed MAS is made from acrylic so it looks better, feels better in the mouth and lasts a lot longer, hence we are able to offer a two year warranty on manufacturing defects."

The company has also developed a system of communication between prescribing dentists and the laboratory at SomnoMed to ensure the splints can be produced accurately to streamline the process, virtually eliminating remakes and minimising chair time for patients.

"The fact is, every dentist in the world has a patient base that includes snorers and sleep apnoea sufferers. These people are ill and need help and dentists are uniquely placed to intervene and commence a course of treatment that can be truly life changing. This has always been the case, though now we believe we have made the process much clearer and developed a complete support structure to assist dentists at every step of the process."