Klarinet Archive - Posting 000246.txt from 2003/05

From: "John J. O'Neill" <avodah@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] excessive saliva
Date: Sun, 11 May 2003 01:34:25 -0400

Is is possible that your friend has undergone some serious dental work
-- such as dental implants, sinus augmentations, root canals, etc?
Unfortunately, dental implants are inserted along a line of greatest
bone density, and this places "foreign objects" in areas of the mouth
that are unfamiliar to the body. The dental world calls this placement
"high and dry." If you examine the mouth of someone with dental
implants, you will probably see some irregularity in the normal
horseshoe-shaped arches. The placement of new teeth is not exactly where
they were before. The result is that the body, thinking that food has
been placed in the mouth, will produce extra saliva to aid in the
digestive process. A person with this condition will tend to have
excessive saliva all the time. When a clarinet mouthpiece is added to
this situation, even more saliva is generated. It is not condensation
that causes the problem, but rather real saliva that the person 'spits'
into the mouthpiece. Some people have resorted to hypnosis wherein the
subject is told to imagine that there is a large faucet in his/her head.
The object here is to shut off that faucet. I have never heard that the
procedure works.

It may be possible to reduce the saliva with some kind of allergy
medication that has a side effect of making the mouth dry, but I haven't
heard of anything thus far. One must, however, be careful here because
the use of such drying agents can cause problems in people with certain
eye conditions. Ask your doctor first!

Sincerely,

John O'Neill

Jacque McGee wrote:
>
> I am seeking an answer for a friend who plays duets and trios with me.
> This lady, an accomplished amateur seems to acquire an excessive=20
> amount of saliva when playing. She has to swab out or blow out on
> the C# or Eb side key within five minutes or less playing time.
> Can anyone on the list give me a reason and a cure for this
> problem.
>
> Thank you in advance
>
> Doug McGee
> clarinet/bass clarinet
>
>
>
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