Tap Pap and Overbite

[Debijo]

I love the Tap Pap....LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!!!! So quiet and easy to breath, perfect seal, no leak...But....I have an overbite, so, if I get the mouthpiece to where my mouth closes in front....the front of the tap pap will be pointing down....if that makes any sense. Last night I fitted it to just my top teeth ( after seeing how far it bent down when Fleming all the way down on it ). So, after I got in be, my mouth wasn't closing right. I ended up putting on a cervical collar and it managed to get my chin up.
I have called the Tap Pap company and they say they will have somebody call me back, but I have given up on hearing back from them today.

So, do I heat it up again and fit it with my jaw forward so my teeth meet like "normal people's", bite down on it like my normal for me bite and have that bracket kind if angle down....or use the cervical collar again?

I know this has to be a hard one to follow....confuses me just describing it!

[Pugsy]

Which way would allow you to be more comfortable sleeping?

[khauser]

I love the Tap Pap....LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!!!! So quiet and easy to breath, perfect seal, no leak...But....I have an overbite, so, if I get the mouthpiece to where my mouth closes in front....the front of the tap pap will be pointing down....if that makes any sense. Last night I fitted it to just my top teeth ( after seeing how far it bent down when Fleming all the way down on it ). So, after I got in be, my mouth wasn't closing right. I ended up putting on a cervical collar and it managed to get my chin up.
I have called the Tap Pap company and they say they will have somebody call me back, but I have given up on hearing back from them today.

So, do I heat it up again and fit it with my jaw forward so my teeth meet like "normal people's", bite down on it like my normal for me bite and have that bracket kind if angle down....or use the cervical collar again?

I know this has to be a hard one to follow....confuses me just describing it!

Welcome to the club!

I also have an overbite, and it took me many tries (5!!) at re-boiling it to get the location correct. With an overbite you need to modify the directions a bit. More accurate, I needed to modify the directions a bit ... your mileage may vary, yada yada.

OK, that said, here's the deal. The directions suggest for you to clamp your molars down tight and suck on it. I tried that and consistently found the pillows to be just a little bit too far from my nose. That lands me in leakville badly enough that I can't use the mask. What a downer! The 5th time, which was to be the last time, I boiled it as usual, fit it to my teeth and BIT down on it like it was an apple ... that is I used my FRONT teeth to bite, making sure they were as far in as they could go, and THEN I clamped the back teeth. I made sure my front teeth were seated ... so if on biting the back of it I felt them come out I'd shift back. Basically I ended up with my front teeth all the way in (at an angle because I *do* have that overbite) and my back teeth like the directions said. I can tell this every time I put it on because my front teeth literally slide in place ... when I put it on it's a diagonal path towards the top back of my head. Taking it off is a little more difficult. Starts the same way, prying off the back, but it has to take the reverse of that diagonal path to come off, or my teeth are going to go with!

So hopefully this helps you figure it out. It can be done. Don't be afraid to re-boil and try again. Also, don't just use tap heated water for these re-trials ... you want to get it good and soft.

Best of luck!

[chunkyfrog]

It forces me to brush my teeth really good before bed--definitely a plus.
(I know, I know . . . )
I will be re-dipping, as I wake up feeling like I've tried to eat a vise.

[khauser]

It forces me to brush my teeth really good before bed--definitely a plus.
(I know, I know . . . )
I will be re-dipping, as I wake up feeling like I've tried to eat a vise.

First, I did not know frogs had teeth!

I had the same problem waking up with the grip of death by these things. They do tighten up a bit the day after fitting them. The second time I experienced this I did what they suggested, which is to use your thumbs to spread it a bit (this is before you wear it). If it is still an issue they say to run it under hot water and try. Note, my hot water (140 degrees) was enough to get it pretty soft, so be careful with that idea.

I did find that the visegrip feeling reduces with time and experience....

[Debijo]

Thanks! Last nighht was a bit better, I tried the apple bite technique....I had hoped to hear from Airway Management today, but guess their customer service is about like the average company nowadays, I had higher hopes for them. Anyhow, things felt okay when I first laid down, but then when I started to relax wasn't sure what to do with my mouth, whether to focus pressure on lips or focus on back teeth....sounds crazy, I know. I ended up taking a really small pillow and sort of wedged it under my chin, and that held things in place. I may just need more practice with it, I don't know.