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One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
#1
One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
I used to have regular mouth leaks and since my preferred mask is the P10 after trying numerous other masks, including full face masks I went on a quest to figure out how to stop the mouth leaks.  I have used at various times cervical collars, various kinds of chin straps, practiced the method of training the tongue to stay stuck to the roof of the mouth, boil and bite athletic double sided mouth guards and even resorted to mouth taping using many different brands of tape in the process (but that was a whole separate epic journey...)   

The only thing that got my mouth leaks under control AND was comfortable after a short period of adjustment was my dentist creating a rubber based double sided grind guard based on an athletic mouth guard design.  The over the counter athletic boil and bite mouth guards never quite fit right and my bite was always mis-aligned in the morning.  Not so with the dentist designed athletic style rubber grind guard.  It fits tightly in the mouth and does not affect my bite in the morning.  The only hard part to get used to was the drooling on initial use but once your mouth gets used to it, it greatly diminishes.  I have found that my leaks are much more under control now with the occasional leak happening only if the mask gets slightly dislodged from turning.  But nothing in large leak territory and the best part about it is I never wake up with dry mouth or in the middle of the night with air rushing out of my mouth.  

The added side benefit is better oral hygiene.  As when your mouth gets severely dried out, gingivitis and tooth decay is much more prevalent.  Another added side benefit is less equipment on my head which is much more comfortable in the summer months.  For me, this is the solution that finally worked!  Hope this helps others in their journey to prevent mouth leaks while using CPAP therapy.

Edit: The one other thing I will mention is that I did have to increase my pressures slightly on my machine to compensate for a slightly increased AHI.  I like to keep my AHI numbers around the .3 - 1.2 range and I found that although it may have been co-incidental, I experienced a slight increase in my AHI count the first week of use of the mouth guard.  Closer to the range of 1.5-2.  It may be that the tongue has less space to go or some other unrelated factor.  I did increase my min and max pressures by 1 and after a slight adjustment period my AHI numbers were back to where they were before.  For me, well worth the slight increase in pressure.
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#2
RE: One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
Thanks for your note.
Long time ago my dentist made a single sided mouth guard to prevent grinding. That didn't help with mouth breathing.

I'll keep your solution in mind...
DaveL
compliant for 35 years /// Still trying!

I'm just a cpap user like you. I don't give medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician before seeking treatment for medical conditions including sleep apnea. Sleep-well

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php..._The_Guide

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#3
RE: One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
(05-13-2021, 09:38 AM)DaveL Wrote: Thanks for your note.
Long time ago my dentist made a single sided mouth guard to prevent grinding. That didn't help with mouth breathing.

I'll keep your solution in mind...

Yes.  I too already had a single sided grind guard too that I have been using for years.  But as you noted already, that definitely doesn't help with mouth breathing.  It has to be double sided and bulky (like an athletic mouthguard) to stop more of the air flow and securely hold your jaw together.  But unlike the boil and bite mouthguards purchased at the sports equipment store that inevitably changed my bite alignment in the morning, this dentist procured one does not.  Which I love!
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#4
RE: One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
That sounds very promising. I've had no luck with the store-bought mouth guards.

I use a home made pad under my chin. I also may use a Knightsbridge dual strap. However, I've returned to my do-it-myself pad for the last month or so.
DaveL
compliant for 35 years /// Still trying!

I'm just a cpap user like you. I don't give medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician before seeking treatment for medical conditions including sleep apnea. Sleep-well

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php..._The_Guide

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#5
RE: One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
Just an update. I guess my brain has gotten used to having the guard in my mouth as the drooling has greatly decreased. It's working great. It's nice to not have to worry about mouth leaks anymore as well as not have to use a chinstrap and/or mouth tape anymore!!
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#6
RE: One mans quest to get mouth leaks under control
Thank-you for posting this information and your update.  It's sure to bring a blessing to someone's life, perhaps my own.
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