Sports mouth guard with full mask

[willis]

I'm trying everything to get leaks under control.  I changed all my cpap setting with help of the forum and I'm seeing some improvements.  I guess I fall into the camp of a mouth breather which causes many leak problems.  I wear a SleepWeaver full mask, soft c-collar and for the last two nights a plastic molded mouth guard.  The first night I woke up in the morning with a sore jaw but the leaks were much better.  Last night I loosened the mouth guard and it was much more comfortable with no pain in my jaw this morning.  The leaks were a little higher but I need some help reading the Sleepyhead graphs?  Thank you

[HalfAsleep]

I'm unclear how mouth breathing with a FFM would cause leaking, especially to the degree of your first chart. Could you explain where on the masks the leaks are happening?

Are you sure your mask is the correct size? Is your lip falling out of the bottom of the mask? At the corners of your mouth? Near your eyes? Consider a mask that's a different size and/or shape.

Since you are willing to take that much effort to prevent mouth breathing, perhaps you'd be happier with a mask like the P10? It would be a lot less cumbersome.

At the very least, I would try some other masks. I'm not sure any kind of mouthpiece would be good for your jaws.

[willis]

After reading some posts I see where using any type of mouth guard is considered controversal.  The SleepWeaver mask works fine and is sealed perfectly until I just fall asleep and thats when I feel my jaw relax (with I think my tounge closing off my airway ) and in comes the air full on exiting out my mouth.  The air seems to be leaking slightly out the bottom of the mask.  I know the air is not going into my lungs.  This usually wakes me up until I finally just fall asleep with mouth leaks going crazy.  The machine is doing what it's suppose to.  I'm trying to train my toung to stay at the roof of my mouth but I relax and it all falls apart.

  I have tried so many nasal thingies, taping my mouth shut and masks in the last 6 years its rediculous!  I came to this forum only 10 days ago and have received valuable insight.  I started using the mask with soft c-collar but still can't get the masks leaks under 20%.  I read somewhere about using a mouth guard and figured I would give it a go.  Lo and behold with the mouth guard and c-collar my leaks went down.  Only problem is this seems to cause jaw pain in most people and maybe I should stay away from it?

  I can't try another mask for another 2 months and will then try the Respironics Amara View as I have extreme sensative skin to the regular masks etc.  I don't know anything about the P10 but I will research it.  I hope I'm reading these graphs correctly.  I did have jaw pain the first morning after using the mouth guard but last night I put it on very loosly and it seemed to work.  Honestly, I had very slight pain in my jaw this morning.  I am concerned as I don't want to add a new problem with my teeth or jaw?  I'm really at a loss again.

[MitchS]

I'm unclear how mouth breathing with a FFM would cause leaking, especially to the degree of your first chart. Could you explain where on the masks the leaks are happening?

Are you sure your mask is the correct size? Is your lip falling out of the bottom of the mask? At the corners of your mouth? Near your eyes? Consider a mask that's a different size and/or shape.

Since you are willing to take that much effort to prevent mouth breathing, perhaps you'd be happier with a mask like the P10? It would be a lot less cumbersome.

At the very least, I would try some other masks. I'm not sure any kind of mouthpiece would be good for your jaws.

I have the same problem. My jaw falls back when I start mouth breathing, causing the mask to lose it's seal around the bottom. I tried a mouth guard with positive results, but it can cause bite alignment problems over time. I have better results with a P10 nasal pillow mask,  a chin strap and a ladies headband worn over my lips. This combo gives me better results than a FFM and is much more comfortable than the chinstrap/ mouth guard combo. I still have to resign myself to have some mouth leaking, although they are well below large leak levels.

[OpalRose]

Willis,
May I ask the reason you are using a mouth guard? Is this holding your mouth open in any way?
Just curious.

Your leak graph looks like a combination of mouth breathing and mask leaks.

[Walla Walla]

You might want to try a soft cervical collar or a chin strap to hold your jaw closed. Dropping the jaw and breaking the seal of a full face mask is a common problem. Like has been mentioned before, the problem with a mouth guard is can affect your bite over the long term.

[willis]

I did not use the mouth guard last night.  I used the soft neck collar and really concentrated on keeping my airway open with my chin slightly tilted up.  I do occasionally open my mouth slightly and both mouth and nose breath.  I'm trying to teach my tongue to stay at the roof of my mouth while sleeping but haven't perfected that technique yet.  I traditionally sleep on my back for most of the night then switch to my right side the last couple of hours.  If the SleepyHead graphs look good I'll continue to keep doing what I'm doing and stay away from the mouth guard.

  Could somebody read my SleepyHead graph and see if I'm doing alright?

Many thanks.

[Walla Walla]

Except for the last part of the night where the leaks were bad, it looks good!

[willis]

Thanks Walla Walla.  I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

[HalfAsleep]

That looks way better. You might have just flailed at the pillow, scratched an itch, or repeatedly hit the snooze button to come up with that leak.

In fact, the positional issue brings to mind.... Have you tried re-arranging the pillows so your head doesn't roll forward? I have to be careful to do this because the cervical collar doesn't work at all for me. I do better if my head is tilted back slightly.

If you come up with a pillow arrangement you like, you could probably buy a pillow in that exact shape. Other posters here use buckwheat, cut-outs, all kinds of stuff. Maybe that would let you back off from one or more of your other arrangements.

Also, if your jaw is dropping below the lower rim of the mask, it really might not be the mask for you. I am a jaw-dropper, but I simply switched masks until I found one that my jaw can't drop below. Supplier #1 is very helpful for mask trials, since you can get return insurance.

FWIW, your machine is not tackling apneas correctly during leaks. Even if it looks like from SleepyHead that it's working in a grey patch.

PS I used a custom nightguard for years (for reasons other than apnea). I broke my front teeth on the last one. Yes, they broke in the exact complementary shape to said apparatus. A lovely rectangular notch. I was quite the tourist attraction. Big $$$ from my pocket to the dentist's. I no longer use a mouthguard.