A device for helping maintain a mouth of a patient in an open position during a dental procedure may include a tooth engaging portion including at least one groove for accepting at least one lower tooth of the patients lower jaw, an extension portion that extends away from the tooth engaging portion, and a handle that extends down from the extension portion and ends in a caudal end. The caudal end of the handle and the groove of the tooth engaging portion lie along a longitudinal axis drawn through a center of the groove.
