12 nights in and I have a problem...

Okay so I was feeling pretty good about the fact that so far I hadn't had any big problems with CPAP. But now I have a problem.

During the past week I have been waking up some mornings with my top front teeth hurting. I thought that maybe my Airfit nasal pillow mask might be too tight so I've worked on trying to keep that as loose as possible but that wasn't helping. Well, during the night last night I woke up and I finally know what the problem is. For some reason my lower jaw is shifting forward during the night and my lower front teeth are pushing forward against the backs of my top teeth. I have no idea why this is happening it never happened before CPAP. What do I do about it? Thanks!

Sharrykb wrote:Okay so I was feeling pretty good about the fact that so far I hadn't had any big problems with CPAP. But now I have a problem.

During the past week I have been waking up some mornings with my top front teeth hurting. I thought that maybe my Airfit nasal pillow mask might be too tight so I've worked on trying to keep that as loose as possible but that wasn't helping. Well, during the night last night I woke up and I finally know what the problem is. For some reason my lower jaw is shifting forward during the night and my lower front teeth are pushing forward against the backs of my top teeth. I have no idea why this is happening it never happened before CPAP. What do I do about it? Thanks!

You could try wearing a nightguard (a moldable one, like athletes wear to protect their teeth) to keep your jaw from shifting forward. They're inexpensive and should keep your teeth from touching. I imagine most drug stores carry them.

Sharrykb wrote:Okay so I was feeling pretty good about the fact that so far I hadn't had any big problems with CPAP. But now I have a problem.

During the past week I have been waking up some mornings with my top front teeth hurting. I thought that maybe my Airfit nasal pillow mask might be too tight so I've worked on trying to keep that as loose as possible but that wasn't helping. Well, during the night last night I woke up and I finally know what the problem is. For some reason my lower jaw is shifting forward during the night and my lower front teeth are pushing forward against the backs of my top teeth. I have no idea why this is happening it never happened before CPAP. What do I do about it? Thanks!

Sharry, I was doing this too, even before I knew I had sleep apnea -- likely an unconscious effort to keep my airway open. I now use a dental night guard that my dentist made and fitted for me (not a dental device related to treating sleep apnea, just a regular night guard) -- the inside is soft and the outside of it is hard which means the device not only protects my teeth from clenching but it also acts as a retainer (I wear it on my uppers). No more tooth pain and no significant shifting of teeth as some PAP users have reported.