Single Leg Issue

I have a tremendously embarrassing question I'm afraid to ask in class! Lol.

Almost every time we drill single leg takedowns, I knee myself in the face with my opponent's knee! To a point where I refuse to drill takedowns without a mouthguard. I swear I'm going to lose a tooth doing this one day. I notice this happens especially when I'm doing the version where I grab my opponent's belt from under their leg and they fall more straight back, rather than to an angle if I finish with a collar/thigh drag. I think it's because I'm trying to instinctively flatten them out to prevent reguard but obviously I'm leading with my head.

Did anyone else have this issue and how did you break the bad habit and fix it? 😭