I have been doing it for nearly 2 years and my mouth has not been trained to stay closed. My wife did mouth taping for a couple of months with good success, and now claims she has been trained and doesn't need it any longer. Her results in SleepyHead seem to verify that, although she was getting more consistent lower leakage rates with the tape. Without tape she is averaging about 4.5 while I average 9 for leakage even while using tape. A study of 2! Not sure what one could conclude from that...
I am a mouth breather even though I have worked hard to train myself otherwise. I manage well through the waking hours but not during sleep. I have had Sleep Apnea for decades and still struggle with a mask. I recently discovered a hybrid called TapPap. It is a dental component and nasal pillows combination. I enhanced it with a mouth shield accessory piece from Dr. Arthur Luisi in Naples, Florida. MyAir scores have been more consistently higher since using the TapPap and the accessory mouth shield. I have even hit 100 on a couple of occasions which is quite an accomplishment for me!
Thank you so much for the mention Sherry. I want to explain the situation to all the CPAP patients with mouth and mask leakage. Believe it or not, the dream of a totally leak free CPAP mask has COME TRUE! I have modified the TAP-PAP nasal pillow mask with a stand-alone accessory called a mouth shield. AND IT WORKS. NO EXCUSES. EVERY TIME. Seals off your mouth from the inside. VERY COMFORTABLE. Could help literally MILLIONS of sufferers. O.K., so why can't you get it? Well the F.D.A. must approve every change in equipment, no matter how trivial. The approval costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have the right idea, but I am only one man with limited resources. ResMed I am not. Even though this is true I am planning to do a large scale clinical trial. at my own expense. This will give participants access to the product. Right now I can only deliver it in person in my own office. If you need it right now I can only do it in my office, but if you are willing to travel, I will do so. PATIENTS, I NEED YOUR SUPPORT. I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE. All you people who can't use CPAP because of leakage- HELP ME TO SAVE YOUR HEALTH! Push this through. Arthur B. Luisi, Jr., D.M.D.. The Naples Center For Dental Sleep Medicine. Naples, Florida
Any chance with the Covid issues that the FDA would allow Zoom fittings for the clinical trials? Telemedicine is a big thing! I am going to need a replacement soon and have a friend who would like one as well. This totally works for mouth breathers. Just a thought!
Nice to hear from you again. I am glad that the Tap-pap with my mouth shield is working for you. Kindly contact me again directly. I lost your contact information from my phone by mistake. I have been in talks with Airway Management. They may be getting close to green lighting it for volume production. I am in the process of redesigning it to incorporate something called an entrainment valve. The valves are present in most full face masks. It is a back-up safety feature that creates more room air breathing if the CPAP machine stops working. The present vent system is sufficient in reality, but the F.D.A. would need to see the extra valve for approval. I would like you to have the improved version when ready. I am committed to making this happen. May be able to use Zoom in the way you suggest. Get back to me. Dr. Luisi
I read somewhere online that people with bridges shouldn't use the TapPap. I guess there's the chance of loosening them. Have you heard this? I'd love to be able to use the TapPap but I do have a mouth full of bridges. Any thoughts?
The general thinking about using the TapPap and any other type of oral appliance device that is affixed to the teeth is that these devices can be used with any kind of oral restorations that are SECURE, WELL EXECUTED, and NOT LOOSE. That would include dental implants, crowns, bridges, root canals with crown and post and cores. and fillings. The teeth must not be loose or involved with serious active gum disease. Generally, you must also have at least 8 teeth in each arch. There are exceptions to that rule. It is a good idea to get any of these devices from an experienced sleep dentist vs. OTC because they will evaluate your teeth to make sure that they are in good enough condition. Arthur B. Luisi,Jr.,D.M.D., The Naples Center For Dental Sleep Medicine.