How To Fit Your DreamGuard
Welcome. Before you put DreamGuard anywhere near your mouth, give us five minutes.
Right now your DreamGuard will feel uncomfortable. That is normal and it is temporary. It has not been shaped to your teeth yet. Once it has, it sits snugly against your own teeth and all but disappears. Almost everyone who gives up on a mouthpiece gives up before this step, so do not skip it.
Watch This First
The full fitting guide in under two minutes. The written steps are below if you want to follow along.
Part 1: Moulding It To Your Teeth
You will need a kettle, two heatproof bowls, cold water and a fork. Set aside five minutes.
Step 1 - Get the water right
Fill one bowl with cold water and keep it close by. Boil the kettle, leave it for no more than 30 seconds, then pour the water into the second bowl. It should be nearly boiling.
Step 2 - Soak for 30 to 45 seconds
Place DreamGuard in the hot water and leave it for 30 to 45 seconds. No longer.
Step 3 - Dunk it in the cold water
Lift it out carefully with the fork and dunk it in the cold water for a maximum of 3 seconds. That takes the heat off while the material stays soft. Check it is comfortable to touch before it goes anywhere near your mouth.
Step 4 - Bite down
Place it over your upper and lower teeth, lining up the centre with the gap between your two front teeth. Bite down firmly and evenly, and use your fingers to push it into your gums and teeth from the outside. Now suck the air out of your mouth and press your lips in around it, as if you were drinking through a straw. Hold for 30 seconds. This is what pulls the material tight against your teeth and gums.
This is the step that matters most. When you bite down, DreamGuard should feel soft, gummy and pliable. If it feels firm, the water was not hot enough or it was not in for long enough. Take it out and re-soften it from Step 1 before you carry on.
Step 5 - Check your impression
Take it out and look at it. You should be able to see clear tooth marks in both the upper and lower trays. Put it back in. It should feel firm, hold itself in place without you biting, and come out with a gentle pull.
Not right? Start again from Step 1. You can re-mould your DreamGuard up to three times, so a first attempt that misses is not a problem. After three, the material stops taking a clean impression.
Part 2: Finding Your Setting
DreamGuard works by holding your lower jaw slightly forward while you sleep. It adjusts across ten settings, 1mm apart, so you can find the smallest amount of forward position that quietens your snoring, rather than the most your jaw will put up with.
Start at Level 1
Always. Level 1 is the neutral position, with your lower jaw sitting almost where it normally does. Wear it at Level 1 for your first three nights before you change anything. Your jaw needs those nights to get used to a new resting position, and plenty of people find Level 1 is all they need.
Then move up one level at a time
If after three nights the snoring has not changed, move up a single level and give it two more nights. Repeat. Most people land somewhere between Level 2 and Level 5.
You can adjust DreamGuard while it is in your mouth, so you do not need to take it out, reset it and start again.
When to come back down a level
Go back down if you wake with aching jaw muscles that have not settled by mid-morning, if your bite feels off during the day, or if you find yourself taking it out during the night. Further forward is not better. The right setting is the gentlest one that works.
Part 3: Your First Few Nights
Some of this is completely normal for the first week:
- Extra saliva. Very common for the first two or three nights. It settles as your mouth gets used to it.
- A slightly tender jaw or teeth in the morning. Should ease within an hour or so of waking. If it has not eased by mid-morning, drop a level.
- Taking it out in your sleep. Happens. Put it back in the next night. It usually stops by night four or five.
- A different bite feel on waking. Normal, and it should settle quickly. Some gentle chewing helps.
Stop using DreamGuard and speak to your dentist or GP if you get persistent jaw pain, a bite that does not return to normal during the day, loose or moving teeth, or sore and bleeding gums.
Part 4: Looking After It
- Brush your teeth first, then put DreamGuard in. It will stay cleaner and last longer.
- Rinse it under cold running water every morning and clean it gently with a soft toothbrush, water and a little toothpaste.
- Let it dry fully before you put it away, then store it in its case somewhere cool.
- Keep it away from heat. No dishwashers, no boiling water, no hot cars, no radiators. Heat is what moulds it, so heat will un-mould it.
- Replace it every six months. The material gradually loses its grip on the shape.
Who Should Not Use DreamGuard
Do not use DreamGuard if you are under 18, wear dentures, have braces or other fixed orthodontic work, have loose teeth, crowns or bridges you are not confident about, have gum disease, or have problems with your jaw joint (TMJ).
If you have been told you may have sleep apnoea, or you wake up gasping or choking, please speak to your GP or dentist rather than treating it yourself with a mouthpiece.
If you are unsure about the state of your teeth, ask your dentist before you start.
DreamGuard is a non-medical oral accessory. It is not a medical device, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, including sleep apnoea.
Still Stuck?
Email us and we will help you get it fitted. DreamGuard comes with a 30-night trial, because a mouthpiece is not something you can judge on one night.
