I am a dentist working in dental sleep medicine. One of the things that I do in my office is to fit people with the TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP mask when they prefer to have it installed professionally. Many patients find it significantly more comfortable than typical CPAP masks because it is secured on the upper teeth, which eliminates the headgear and straps. It is also more stable and tends not to leak when the patient moves around in bed. It is available on line at all the typical CPAP supply outlets and can be self installed by most patients if they are at all handy. AirWay Management Company enjoys a significant market share with the device and it always surprises me when there is so little mention of it on forums such as this. As with all nasal pillow masks, the patient must be able to breathe fairly well through the nose. Most people naturally close their mouths around the device when they sleep and mouth leakage is not an issue. Again, it won't work for a heavy mouth breather and they must go with a full face mask or an oral sleep apnea appliance. Currently, I am working on a soft, comfortable intraoral mouth shield that attaches as an accessory to the TAP PAP nasal pillow mask to stop mouth leakage. It works well, is available in my office, but not yet in volume production. Arthur B. Luisi, Jr., D.M.D., The Naples Center For Dental Sleep Medicine. Naples, Florida
