Papcap (or other chinstrap)- How tight??

[guest12345]

hi,

I have been using the papcap with swift LT for a few days, and am still getting significant leaks through my mouth (I think) because I get a great seal with the nasal pillows. I am just wondering....how tight? when you tighten your papcap or other chinstrap, is it so tight that when your jaw is completely relaxed, your teeth are clenched together still? or is it loose enough that it holds your teeth close, but not clenched? I am having trouble eliminating my leak source, and when I try to make my chinstrap more tight, it is very uncomfortable and I feel like I cannot relax my jaw!!! do you need to have it so tight that your mouth will not open at all? anyone get any TMJ issues from doing this? thanks for the feedback!

[LSAT]

"loose enough that it holds your teeth close, but not clenched."

[guest12345]

Thanks for the help....do you wear a chinstrap? if it is loose enough to hold the teeth in contact, I may not have had it tight enough. Like i said....hard to relax my jaw with it this tight....I guess I will try tonight though. Thanks for the help

[Uncle_Bob]

You don't want clenched teeth as you will end up with dental problems. Also important is the location IMO. wear the strap closer to the neck/throat and not up under the chin.
The main reason papCap works so well for me is it stops the jaw from dropping and any resulting mouth leaks. With my strap on i can actually open my jaw with a little effort.

Good luck

[SleepyBobR]

I use the Swift LT as well with a chinstrap made from a 6 inch wide tensor bandage wrapped around my head and secured with a bandage clip. I tried the Papcap but it doesn't work for me. I'm not sure what the problem is exactly but it's just too uncomfortable if I tighten it enough to be effective. As for the tension with the tensor bandage, I secure it tight enough to hold my mouth loosely closed but not tight enough to bring my teeth together. I get no leaks at all through my mouth unless I lie on my back; then I get blowouts. I assume I'd have to cinch up the chinstrap a bit tighter to overcome this but I really haven't worked at it because I really never sleep on my back anyway.

[guest 12345]

Once I started therapy, I started sleeping on my back. This may be making the problem worse....so maybe I will try sleeping on my side (I originally started sleeping on my back so that my pillow wouldn't move the mask around on my face. I have been tightening it up in the past tight enough that my jaw is loosely closed, without my teeth really touching. My leak rate is about 0.3L/minute on resmed elite II with the swift LT. Under the mftr's recommended level, but I am unable to get my AHI below 5-8, so I am trying to tackle the leak issue. I will also try wearing it more towards my throat....again, thanks for the help, any other suggestions are welcome. My leak rate of 0.3L per minute is identical using my papcap, a different chinstrap, or a vertical piece of tape. At this point I might try not using anything this weekend and seeing what the leak rate is....

[LSAT]

Why not try a FF Mask?

[SleepyBobR]

Why not try a FF Mask?

I am going to try the Mirage Liberty FF mask. Looks like it retains the benefits of the nasal pillows in a FF mask.

[Guest]

Why not try a FF Mask?

While the quattro fits my face well, it doesn't close my mouth. A chinstrap keeps my therapy going down the tube (no pun intended). Once I added it, my leak rate went WAAAAY down.

[geoDoug]

Why not try a FF Mask?

While the quattro fits my face well, it doesn't close my mouth. A chinstrap keeps my therapy going down the tube (no pun intended). Once I added it, my leak rate went WAAAAY down.

Oops. Forgot to log in. My setup is a Quattro FF mask, chinstrap, and a remstar pro.

[LinkC]

For some people a chinstrap just doesn't keep their lips sealed, no matter how tight it is. If that's the case, the other alternatives are:

any FF mask (If your nosebridge can handle it)
a "hybrid" mask (currently the Liberty or Innomed Hybrid)
mouth taping (considered dangerous by most docs)

[DreamStalker]

There is another way to make the PapCap work if the air leaks through your lips.

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