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I have been waking up everyday with icky, leather-tongue, dry mouth. Using nasal pillow P10 mask. Pugsy has already alerted me that, while it's probably worth trying a full face mask, lots of people using full face mask still experience dry mouth. I would love to hear from anyone who experienced dry mouth with nasal pillow who then switched to full face mask and the full face mask actually did reduce or prevent dry mouth. On top of the discomfort from the dry mouth, I just had my regular 4 month dental cleaning yesterday and after only 7 weeks or so of CPAP, the amount of tartar on my teeth has increased dramatically and I am convinced it is from the CPAP dry mouth. So I am looking for some encouragement that maybe switching to full face mask might actually have a possibility of helping this problem. I have about 6 more weeks to go before my insurance (Medicare) will pay for a new face mask and I am debating with myself whether I want to pay myself for a full face mask now or wait out the next 6 weeks. This dental issue with the increased tartar happened really fast so in one way I don't think I should wait to try a full face mask but if it is pretty doubtful a full face mask would resolve this problem, then I probably wouldn't rush out to get one. Typically when I have my teeth cleaned the hygienist remarks about what a good job I am doing with taking care of my teeth. So this was really different and the only thing I am doing differently is the CPAP.
Also, incidentally, in the last 4-5 days I have started experiencing very large mask leaks. I've already ordered a new pillow for my mask which should get here in the next couple of days and hoping that will help. This hasn't been a problem until now so I can't think why this should start up now...

Someone just sent me a boat load of cpap mask stuff.
There might be a full face mask in there that you can use. I don't have time right now to go through it all but remind me later (I tend to forget who I promised to do something) if I don't get back with you this evening with what I might have.

Maybe we can let you try a full face mask without it costing you an arm and a leg or using up your insurance allowance.
There's some new still factory sealed stuff and some gently used stuff in the box but I haven't looked to see exactly what all might be in the box.
Free...only ask that you reimburse postage if you can. This shipping stuff adds up.

That would be great, Pugsy! Thank you! I will be happy to reimburse postage... Well, not to be picky... but I would like to try a mask that is as unobtrusive as possible... not looking forward to switching to FFM but if it must be... I am really alarmed and worried about my teeth. I have had extensive dental work done in the past and I just cannot afford any more really expensive dental projects so I have been working very hard to take care of my teeth...

Pugsy wrote:Someone just sent me a boat load of cpap mask stuff.

how big a boat? small runabout or huge freighter?

UPS mini barge.

Char, I think you will just have to try it to find out. I don't have a particular problem with dry mouth, but the tendency is greater, for me, with a nasal mask. It depends on the cause. Any mouth breathing, in or out, will tend to be drying. With a Nasal Mask, you could be experiencing mouth leaks, which we've discussed before, where air is being rather forced out of your mouth by the CPAP pressure. A full face mask will tend to prevent that because it will equalize the pressure at the mouth and nose. However, even with a full face mask and CPAP, an open mouth could be drying. And breathing (inhaling and/or exhaling through the mouth) definitely would. To keep the mouth closed with a FFM, some still resort to a chin strap or tape. However, If you do switch to a FFM and experience drying, I suggest trying a modified chin strap which will serve as more of a reminder than a preventer. This type of chin strap you would make yourself. It would simply be a small strap that runs from one lower strap of the mask, under the chin, to the lower strap on the other side. It could be made of stick to itself Velcro. This strap doesn't have to be tight, just snug as your mouth is in a naturally closed position, which would become tighter if your jaw drops. Along those same lines, some have used tape in place of the strap. One piece on each side from the mask to just under the jaw line. I don't really recommend a full blown chin strap or mouth tape with a FFM.
So unfortunately, regardless of the experience of others, the only way to know for sure is to try it yourself. Hopefully, Pugsy will have one to trial.

Thank you, Jay. I think you are probably right. I will have to try it to find out for myself what will happen. I really think that it is the mouth exhalation from the pressure as opposed to breathing in and out through my mouth as I am not normally a mouth breather in that sense. Especially if Pugsy has a mask I can try, I am likely to give it a tryout sooner rather than later. I am hoping, just as a means of encouragement, to hear from someone or someone(s) for whom switching to full face mask resolved the problem. I will keep in mind your chin strap suggestion as well.

I have never been able to use a nasal or nasal pillow mask as I am a mouth breather when I sleep. At first, I had a very dry mouth every night. After starting to use a soft cervical collar, I not longer have that problem. Even with the cervical collar, I still lost air through my mouth once I fell asleep and this would wake me up immediately. I have given up on using anything other than a full face mask.

sleepychar wrote:I have been waking up everyday with icky, leather-tongue, dry mouth. Using nasal pillow P10 mask. Pugsy has already alerted me that, while it's probably worth trying a full face mask, lots of people using full face mask still experience dry mouth. I would love to hear from anyone who experienced dry mouth with nasal pillow who then switched to full face mask and the full face mask actually did reduce or prevent dry mouth. On top of the discomfort from the dry mouth, I just had my regular 4 month dental cleaning yesterday and after only 7 weeks or so of CPAP, the amount of tartar on my teeth has increased dramatically and I am convinced it is from the CPAP dry mouth. So I am looking for some encouragement that maybe switching to full face mask might actually have a possibility of helping this problem. I have about 6 more weeks to go before my insurance (Medicare) will pay for a new face mask and I am debating with myself whether I want to pay myself for a full face mask now or wait out the next 6 weeks. This dental issue with the increased tartar happened really fast so in one way I don't think I should wait to try a full face mask but if it is pretty doubtful a full face mask would resolve this problem, then I probably wouldn't rush out to get one. Typically when I have my teeth cleaned the hygienist remarks about what a good job I am doing with taking care of my teeth. So this was really different and the only thing I am doing differently is the CPAP.
Also, incidentally, in the last 4-5 days I have started experiencing very large mask leaks. I've already ordered a new pillow for my mask which should get here in the next couple of days and hoping that will help. This hasn't been a problem until now so I can't think why this should start up now...

Hi sleepychar,

I have a problem with dry mouth and during the rare times I have used my Simplus, it doesn't seem to make a difference vs. using my elan nasal mask but keep in mind that i haven't used it full time. But the good news is that recently, I had my 4 month dental cleaning and the hygienist said I had minimal plaque unlike previous times.

The two different things I did were to consume about 6mg of Zylitol per day and do oil pulling with coconut oil for 10 minutes every morning. Perhaps that might be worth trying in your case although of course your mileage will vary? And my results might be due to something else.

I had also found moderate success using Zylimelts at night but ran out and haven't gotten around to reordering them as I am trying out something else that is supposed to help dry mouth. Fortunately, there is a money back guarantee if it doesn't work.

You also might try Orajel for dry mouth which other forum members have spoken highly of.

Best of luck.

49er

Thank you Okie and 49er.

49er - I'm not sure what zylitol is... the closest I could find with Google was xylitol, artificial sweetener - which is something I have to avoid as it disagrees with my digestive system. But is it something else? And oil pulls - I never heard of those either...

I could try a cervical collar - but not sure it would help because the air has to go someplace once it gets into my mouth and even when my mouth is closed, the air flows out through my closed lips... The one time I tried taping my mouth I ended up with really severe aerophagia so I'm not trying that one again...

Will see what happens, but I appreciate your comments/feedback.

sleepychar wrote:Thank you Okie and 49er.

49er - I'm not sure what zylitol is... the closest I could find with Google was xylitol, artificial sweetener - which is something I have to avoid as it disagrees with my digestive system. But is it something else? And oil pulls - I never heard of those either...

I could try a cervical collar - but not sure it would help because the air has to go someplace once it gets into my mouth and even when my mouth is closed, the air flows out through my closed lips... The one time I tried taping my mouth I ended up with really severe aerophagia so I'm not trying that one again...

Will see what happens, but I appreciate your comments/feedback.

sleepychar, you are correct as I unfortunately misspelled xylitol. Sorry you can't try it.

palerider wrote: how big a boat? small runabout or huge freighter?

Small runabout but weighed 16 lbs...and part of that was an old GoodKnight machine but a lot of other stuff.
Mostly Mirage FX nasal cushions but a ResMed S9 water chamber (the original first one that is a bitch to take apart).
and a bunch of regular non heated hoses including some Respironics white Performance hoses.
Mainly nasal mask stuff but I found one FFM that I think Sleepychar can try just to see if it even helps or not.

Switching from the p10 pillows to the simplus f&p definitely helps me with dry mouth and nasal congestion. another benefit I find is that the diffuser seems stronger on the simplus, and I feel more "clear headed" when I wake up. this could be because of more effective therapy from a reduction in leaking, but I also wonder if the simplus allows more clearance of CO2 (the flow of air is definitely stronger coming out the front of the mask).

raisedfist wrote: another benefit I find is that the diffuser seems stronger on the simplus, and I feel more "clear headed" when I wake up. this could be because of more effective therapy from a reduction in leaking, but I also wonder if the simplus allows more clearance of CO2 (the flow of air is definitely stronger coming out the front of the mask).

that's an excellent example of perception vs reality.

the vent rates between the p10 and simplus are very similar.
for the p10: @8cm, 29lpm, @12, 37lpm.
for the simplus: @8cm, 31lpm, @12, 38lpm

but because the p10 has a diffused vent, that sends air in all directions so it's hard to feel, it feels like very little. vs the simplus and it's traditional hard non-diffused vent, which feels like much more air.

http://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents/ ... er_eng.pdf
http://www.directhomemedical.com/masks- ... or-use.pdf

Pugsy,

I sent you a PM. Hope I did it right. Please let me know if you don't receive it. Thank you.

sleepychar