Safety in Epilepsy: Protecting Your Mouth During Seizures
When we think of seizure safety, we tend to focus on preventing falls, cushioning the head, and ensuring a clear airway. Yet one common injury is frequently overlooked: oral trauma. Bites to the tongue, lips, or inner cheeks can cause significant pain, can be slow to recover, and affect everyday activities like eating and speaking.
Addressing this risk is an important part of well-rounded seizure management. During a tonic-clonic seizure, powerful, involuntary contractions of the jaw muscles can lead to forceful biting. Many people with epilepsy experience painful lacerations or swelling that lingers for days or even weeks afterward. These injuries are more than just uncomfortable—they can interfere with nutrition, communication, and overall quality of life.
Why Old Advice Can Cause More Harm:
For many years, well-meaning caregivers and first responders received outdated guidance: place a spoon, wallet, or even fingers in the person’s mouth to “prevent swallowing the tongue.” We now know this myth is not only false—the tongue cannot be swallowed—but also dangerous. Forcing objects between the teeth risks broken teeth, jaw injury, or airway blockage. Until recently, standard first-aid protocols simply recommended turning the person onto their side and waiting, leaving the mouth completely unprotected during the seizure.
A Safer, Dignified Approach to Oral Protection:
Newer medical advice seeks to balance safety with respect for the patient’s comfort and dignity and this is where PATI® (Protector Against Tongue Injury) comes in. This is the first FDA-cleared oral device specifically designed to reduce seizure-related oral trauma. Developed as a patented, single-use (disposable) solution, PATI is intended for safe insertion by a caregiver or trained individual at the onset of a generalized seizure. It sits securely between the teeth, cushioning the force of jaw clenching while protecting the tongue, lips, and cheeks. Its design also allows natural saliva drainage and supports airway management, helping to reduce the risk of choking or aspiration.
Unlike improvised methods, PATI is engineered to stay in place without causing additional harm. By minimizing painful oral injuries, it can help patients return to normal activities more quickly and with less discomfort.
Moving Forward with Better Options:
Living with epilepsy already brings many challenges. Reducing avoidable injuries like severe tongue bites can make a meaningful difference in daily well-being and peace of mind—for both patients and their loved ones. If you or someone you care for experiences generalized seizures, talk with your neurologist or epilepsy care team about whether an oral protection device like PATI might be appropriate as part of your safety plan. New tools like this reflect ongoing progress in making seizure management safer and more patient-centered.
Who came up with the idea of PATI?
The CEO and founder of PATI is Dr. Ashlyn Sanders (currently a Pediatric Neurology Resident, Johns Hopkins). In 2014, Ashlyn was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening neurologic condition called a Chiari Malformation, that led to emergent brain surgery and causes seizures. There is no cure for Chiari Malformations. Ashlyn started the company based on her desire to improve the patient experience for millions of others living with seizures.
Ashlyn is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill (B.A. Mathematics) and Duke University (M.A. Bioethics and Science Policy). She is also a former 2014 Spring White House Intern during the Obama Administration in The Office of Science and Technology Policy and The Office of Public Engagement. She is passionate about health and health policy and is very active in her community.
Is PATI for all ages? Do mouth sizes vary?
PATI is FDA cleared for patients ages 12 and older but can be prescribed for younger patients at the discretion of the prescribing physician. There is only one size.
Note: Always follow current first-aid guidelines from organizations such as Epilepsy Alliance America or the Epilepsy Foundation. Never attempt to place anything in the mouth of someone having an active seizure without proper training and the right equipment.
For more information: How PATI Works | FDA-Cleared Seizure Protection Device
