Chin Strap Question

Ever since I've been on CPAP I've noticed that I'm having a progressively harder time getting my teeth to mesh. My lower incisors now meet my uppers and my premolars and molars no longer mesh. I'm pretty sure it's because air pressure in my oropharyngeal cavity presses on the back of the tongue and forces the lower jaw forward during the night.

My dentist insists there's no problem, that I'm not developing an underbite. He says it's caused by the muscles that position the lower jaw not finding their proper position, but it's more than that. I simply can't force my jaw back far enough to get my teeth to mesh.

I've never used a chin strap. Can anyone who uses one tell me whether a chin strap only closes the lower haw, or does it also pull the jaw backward as well?

Slarty,

I have used a Respironics Premium Chin Strap every night since I started PAP therapy over a year ago. I have not found any sort of issues with the chin strap pulling the jaw out of alignment or changing my 'bite' at all. For my needs, a chin strap only has to be tight enough to keep my mouth from falling open when I relax my face, but not so tight that I can't breathe through my mouth (if needed), talk, or get a drink of water. I look at it as a chin support device, not a mouth sealing device. If complete mouth sealing is necessary to stop mouth leakage of PAP air then the option of taping is always available. I also use the 'tongue technique' along with the chin strap to give me complete success from mouth breathing.

Good luck!

John

I suspect the answer varies for different chin straps and how they're applied. It probably varies from person to person. You might try my Ace bandage chin strap and see what you think.

It sounds like you want it to pull your chin back. You might be able to manipulate it a bit to help this happen.

Ace bandage. Great idea! I need to experiment with something to keep my lower jaw from protruding too far forward and that would give me a start.

Thanks!

I've tried maybe every chip strap out there. Some did, in fact, pull my chin back which was very uncomfortable. I also found that many of them lost their effectiveness very quickly and my insurance doesn't cover chinstraps so the cost got out of hand as well. I found places to buy the neoprene material so I could make my own at reasonable cost. Still a pretty dead end street. I finally put down the dollars for the PapCap. I found that the chinstrap worked best when I put it right against my adam's apple, in a vertical alignment. I found that it causes the tongue to close off the supplied air so it didn't come out my mouth, my whole trouble. The PapCap has enough velcro on it so that many might be able not require a head gear, just the Cap. With a bit more looking at the thing, I found that I could use a cheap surgical scrubs cap, a couple inches of velcro and with teh right stretchy velcro, make the strap. Viola, I make caps out of scrap material and about $0.75 worth of velcro stretch strap. I'd be glad to share photos and more on the materials required, in a PM.

Good Luck!!
Kelvin

I came home and tried wrapping ace bandage and it works pretty well, except that I might look like the Invisible Man if anyone sees me like that. About 20 minutes of walking around the house and scaring the dog with it, and my jaw was back where it belonged, with lower incisors behind the uppers. So I ordered a chin strap from our hosts. It should do the trick. If not, I can modify it to make it work. Will show it to my dentist next time I see him and see if he has any thoughts.

Thanks for your help.