DIY tongue guard query

I am working on another model but am having problems due to a rather large back cap which affects the side to side fit. My bottom teeth only connect with the guard on the' cap' side, not very comfortable.
question: How much has anyone shortened the ends and still got a good 'hold'?

I have a blob which fills in the front of the curve.approx 5/8" , attached to which is a vertical piece which extends above and below the blob (as my tongue sneaks forward otherwise) from the front it extends 11/4". I tried it further back but my tongue ached , maybe I would get used to that.
I can still draw a little air in through my mouth with the guard in.
Is that OK or should I not be able to? I use nasal pillow mask

Re bulk of unit, has anyone "thinned" their down at all? Do chill it in the freezer first?

Any info will be much appreciated. I would really like this to work.

Tried the search system but couldn't get it right - dumb dumb. took a picture but couldn't work out how to add that either - going back to bed![/img]

I have pretty well honed my tongue guide down to a minimum. I used a pair of "wire cutters" to cut away excess material, then a drimmel tool with a sanding drum to smooth it a bit and finally some fine sandpaper to really smooth it. A hot spoon was also suggested for doing some basic forming and smoothing.

The guard should fit both sides, even if they are different when you smoosh it into place while warm.

I trimmed ALL the material flush with my teeth, except at the back where I left a couple of wings/prongs/tabs to grip and position the device. You could probably move those clamp tabs up a bit, although I don't know if air would leak around the guide if it didn't go pretty far back. That would require experimenting. I also bit down hard while it was still soft so there isn't much material between the upper and lower teeth either.

It shouldn't matter if you can draw air in since you are pressurized OUT whenever its in use.

I formed a pocket that guides my tongue up to the roof of my mouth in addition to pushing my tongue back.

I need to make another one soon, since I couldn't imagine going a single night without a DIY tongue guide, and it would be a bummer if anything happened to the one I made. And they do take a bit of time to make. You really need to set aside a quiet saturday morning when well rested, and not be trying to make one an hour before going to bed on a work night, so some planning ahead is required for construction. Sure is worth it though!!!