Top 3 reasons why anti-snoring mouthguard falls out at night
Snorers who are new to oral appliances occasionally face challenges which cause them to second guess the effectiveness of the device that they just purchased. One such challenge is dealing with a mouthpiece that falls out at night while sleeping. Since I have faced this issue in the past and periodically receive questions about this from my readers, I believe that now would be an excellent time to address this concern.
Is it normal for a snoring mouthpiece to fall out of my mouth while sleeping? In some cases, this is the norm and it does not apply to just one particular brand or style of device. I’ve noticed this issue with both mandibular advancement devices and tongue stabilizing devices produced by a number of different manufacturers. The good news is that in most cases correcting this issue is fairly simple.
There are 3 primary reasons why this occurs: insufficient adjustment period, the need for fine-tuning, or simply an error in the fitting process. Here’s a detailed explanation of each possibility and the corrective action that one must take.
Adequate adjustment period
The Cause: In most cases, those who have issues with their snoring mouthpiece falling out simply have not given their body a chance to adjust to the new device. These devices tend to work their self out of the mouth (or from the tip of the tongue in the case of a TSD) while asleep. Allowing time for adjustment often solves this issue.
The Solution: Most manufacturers suggest that new users aim for an adjustment period of about seven to ten days and I tend to agree. Allowing your body to become accustomed to the new device is a necessary step to ensure that it will remain in place throughout the night. One suggestion is to put the mouthpiece in for about an hour before falling asleep to help acclimate your mouth to wearing it. You may notice in the morning that it still falls out and ends up next to your pillow. This is absolutely normal and okay! As time passes, this will become a less common occurrence and will eventually cease altogether. Persistence and time is the key to success.
Device needs fine-tuning
The Cause: If you are still having issues with your mouthpiece falling out after a 7-10 day adjustment period, it may necessary to make some minor adjustments to allow for a closer fit. Depending on the manufacturer, you may be able to trim, remold, stretch, or make advancement adjustments. Before performing any modifications, be sure to read over the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
The Solution: The best way to start is by listening to your body. Is there a particular part of your mouth that seems to become sore after wearing the device? How close does it fit your teeth and the inside of your mouth? Is there a lot of “play” or “wiggle room” when the mouthguard is installed? These are a few questions that you may want to ask yourself in order to determine where to make adjustments.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions before attempting any modifications. In some cases, you may simply need to reheat the thermoplastic material and take a new impression of your teeth while other times your appliance may require an advancement adjustment or simply a trimming of excess material.
Improper use
The Cause: Occasionally a snorer will attempt to use a product without first reading over and understanding the fitting instructions. While this may be the least common of the three reasons, it’s something that should still be taken into consideration. If you have allowed time for an adequate adjustment period, have fine-tuned your device and are still having issues with it falling out, you may want to review the fitting instructions.
The Solution: A simple oversight can easily be the cause of your problem. For instance, did you know that all such devices have an “upside” and “downside”? Perhaps you have fitted it upside-down?
In some cases, the user will try to heat and shape a device that was not designed to do so. Several oral appliances on the market are considered “boil and bite” but not necessarily all of them. For instance, the Zquiet, and the GMSS typically work right out of the box and should not be heated and shaped.
While you may have read the instructions once, go back and take a second look. In some cases, you will find a simple oversight is to blame for an issue that you may be experiencing.
What if these solutions do not work?
If you carefully examine the above causes and corrective action, you will find that 95% of the time this issue will resolve itself. However, it could be the case that you are not a good candidate for an oral appliance. Before throwing in the towel, take advantage of the customer service that is provided by the company who produces your particular device. Most of them are eager and more than willing to assist you with any issues that you may be experiencing. They may, for instance, send you a larger (or smaller) model that may offer a better fit or perhaps give additional advice to help prevent their device from falling out of your mouth.
Whatever you do, don’t give up immediately. The snoring mouthguard really does work great once you become accustomed to wearing one. When first introduced to the oral appliance, I too had experienced issues keeping it in my mouth throughout the night. Had I given up early on, I would have missed out on an effective and inexpensive solution to my snoring problem.
Which mouthpiece should I buy?
The anti-snoring mouthpiece is one of the most highly effective stop snoring solutions available. With over 100 different products to choose from, deciding which one to buy can be challenging.
As a snorer and product reviewer, I have tried many of these devices and created a list of recommended devices that will help to make this decision much easier.
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