Klarinet Archive - Posting 000030.txt from 2010/01

From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Braces
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:32:32 -0500

Speaking of braces and cut lips, I stumbled upon an very inexpensive lip
guard which can be made at home.
I take the standard mouthpiece guard which football players use (99cents).
Cut the guard into 3/4" sections, which will yield at least 10 finished lip
guards.
Dip the 3/4" section into boiling water with tweezers in hand. Once the
plastic softens sufficiently, put the section over your teeth and mold. I
find that it takes several tries of dipping, fitting, dipping, fitting,
before you find a fit that is snug and not too thick.
Cut off the excess amounts as the 3'4" ordinal piece will have expanded
considerably.
I've taught all my younger students this trick and it's been a lip saver,
especially for those wanting to spend hours of practicing. The local
orthodontist sells something similar for $80. Do the math....
Tom Servinsky
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Fay" <kevin.fay.home@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:17 AM
Subject: [kl] Braces

>I have 3 kids - 12, 11 and 9. The two oldest have been through a series of
> orthodontia.
>
> Not content to have spent only $15K on their teeth, I decided (on the
> advice
> of my dentist) to get some braces too. Seems that I have/had a mandibular
> occlusion - a big overbite with jaws that didn't meet each other quite
> right. Between wanting to be rid of the headaches and a strong desire to
> be
> able to chew as a senior citizen, I now have a set of railroad tracks on
> my
> top teeth.
>
> For the last umpteen years, my upper teeth were quite crowded. They're
> now
> lined up like little soldiers, just the way my orthodontist intended.
>
> One side effect of the treatment so far is that my mouthpieces don't work
> for me any more. The drawer full of custom pieces is now a nicely matched
> set of door stops.
>
> The good news is that a commercial mouthpiece is working really, really
> well. I'm using a Pomarico sapphire (that says "MELLOW" on the back). I
> tried a pile of mouthpieces - including the Pomarico sapphire "BRIGHT"
> that
> didn't project as well - and for less than a hundred bucks, I sound better
> than ever.
>
> Next month, I get the lower teeth started. Because my upper lip is
> already
> torn up from the brackets, I've chosen to try the "Invisalign" treatment
> for
> my lower teeth in the hope that it will be easier to play.
>
> I have a new level of respect for all of those middle-school kids now.
>
> kjf
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

------------------------------------------------------------------