 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jean Adler
Date: 2002-04-02 00:24
I was blessed with nice teeth, good bite, no real troubles...except for one tooth on the bottom that crosses ever so slightly over the one next to it. (the two bottom middle teeth)....I really hate to get braces for a problem so slight. Here's the problem, when I practice for long stretches the inside of my bottom lip is extremely sore. I often resort to a sort pf lop-sided embouchure. Playing off to one side.
Are there any products that any of you use that aren't bulky and feel like they are in the way?
Thanks in advance,
Jean
BTW I am in my early 40's so the idea of braces doesn't thrill me.
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Author: david
Date: 2002-04-02 00:29
hi
Sometimes I use some cigarette paper folded up; when it gets wet it stays in place pretty well. I used to have an expensive tooth gaurd that was made by my dentist that I of course lost. I recomend the paper.
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Author: Jean Adler
Date: 2002-04-02 01:06
I forgot to mention I tried the paper thing and wasn't satisfied with the results, but thanks for the advice.
David,
Just how much did that tooth guard cost? If you wish you can email me directly with that answer.
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Author: Karel
Date: 2002-04-02 01:38
Jean, if you go to a friendly physiotherapist, she will give or sell you a piece of the heat-mouldeable plastic they use for shaped splints. Get the thin variety. Cut this into pieces about 1x1.5cm or less ,heat in water and roll to a thin wafer with tapered edges. Heat again and apply over your lower teeth as you would a piece of chewing gum. Allow to cool and remove. If necessary you can trim it to final shape. I was lucky to have free access to the material, but even if you have to pay something for it, you can make and remake these just as well as the dentist can. Good luck.
Karel.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2002-04-02 01:41
One can discuss this with a dentist and ask him/her to remove, by light grinding, the sharp edges from the teeth that can cause this irritation. I've done this and it is working very well. Good Luck!
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Author: kgl
Date: 2002-04-02 01:49
There are denture cushions (one brand here is EZO) sold in drugstores which come in various thicknesses and work for some people. They can be cut up into the size which works for you, and will provide more of a "cushion" than paper does. It might be enough to protect your lip.
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Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2002-04-02 02:00
I am a pediatric dentist in California who occasionally follows this forum and sometimes posts. I would suggest talking to your dentist about this. The solution of using some form of material on the biting edge of your lower incisors will leave you with gooey messy stuff in your mouth.
What I would suggest is some thin vacuum formed mouth guard material formed to fit the lower incisors. The best way would be to extend it back to the molars, but it can be done for just the incisors. I have a friend who uses this set-up on his sax and loves it. With adequate practice it shouldn't affect your tone other than giving you more control since you are not in pain. A mouth guard should last years with adequate care... unless you are young enough to still be erupting teeth in (say under 14 years old)... and be relativley inexpensive.
I must admit that although I have had this same problem I have never felt the need to make myself a biteguard. Instead I have found that if you just increase yoiur playing/practicing time the inside of your lip will form a sort of callous (layer of keratinized oral epithelium) which will then give you the comfort you desire. Of course you will need to keep up the practicing/playing time to maintain this callous... also a good thing!
On the other hand areas of constant trauma can develop into other problems in rare instances... I have not felt this a real concern, but you should be aware of the possibility.
Terry
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Author: Kim
Date: 2002-04-02 04:34
I believe that the material that Karel talks about can be found in sporting goods stores. It's the same material (plastic tooth guards) that boxers/football players use. You just put it in boiling water for a few seconds and mold it to your teeth. Of course you'd have to cut it into a piece that is MUCH smaller than what they use for the sports. I've had great success with one that I made over a year ago. The best part about it is that it's transparent, so no one ever knows that it's in unless they see you putting it in/taking it out. (Great for kiddie concert gigs, lecture recitals, etc., where you must alternately talk and play.)
Making it takes a bit of patience, but is worth it.
Good luck,
Kim
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Author: Dan Oberlin
Date: 2002-04-02 11:56
Try the EZO that kgl mentioned. Cut it into rectangular strips long enough to cover
the four bottom front teeth. Warm it up
by placing it into your mouth for a minute
or so, then fold the rectangle. Place the folded
rectangle over your teeth with the fold over
the edges of the teeth and press with your
fingers. This will mold the strip to your teeth.
This is a very good solution employed by lots
of really fine players. It is inexpensive and
does not leave a gooey mess in your mouth.
Dan
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Author: Jean Adler
Date: 2002-04-02 12:50
Wow, thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I happen to have my semi-annual teeth cleaning tomorrow. I am curious what my dentist suggests.
I am imagining myself looking like some sort of jock with a mouthguard.
Terry,
As far as practice time is concerned I am in grad school and last semester I was playing up to 4 hours a day. I apparently didn't build up that callous you wrote about.
Thanks again all.
Jean
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Author: William
Date: 2002-04-02 14:49
You may be relying too much on "bite" and not enough on lip strength for your embouchure control. Next time you practice, try starting with the double lip method for a few minutes. Then, go back to your conventional embouchure but try to use more upper lip pressure rather than upper teeth alone, to control the sound. This may require a slightly softer reed, but too many of us clarinetists rely on "too hard" reeds to produce the "big sound" rather than a balanced upper/lower lip "circle of support" with a balanced, flexabile and reponsive reed. It's never too late--even in "Grad School"--to make improvements in ones playing. Just a thought--hope it helps a bit. Good Clarineting!!!!
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-04-02 16:29
Jean -
I have exactly the same situation. I found that the cure was switching to double lip. It takes a while to build up the strength all the way around, but once you do, the problems with uneven teeth go away.
I tried pastic guards, etc., but they were all too thick. Keith Stein had one made of gold, which fit over just the two bottom incisors and made a perfectly level surface. It's not cheap, but if you make your living by playing, it's worth the one-time cost.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-04-02 17:56
Having had teeth problems most of my life and now with an upper denture which, by the way, creates no problems...and being 72 years old...I would opt for the straightening procedure....if I knew then what I know now. You will be playing for many more years and so it would seem to me to correct the problem rather than try to adapt to it....given that the straightening process is much improved today compared to even a few years ago. I've tried the EZO stuff for lower teeth and didn't like it. I'm not a dentist and so am just speaking from personal experience.
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Author: Bob T
Date: 2002-04-02 20:05
I'm a dental GP and would agree with Terry. Don't try anything that you mould yourself as you cannot get an even thickness overall. Like Terry I make clear vac formed retainers for my orthodontic patients. This material is just ideal for smoothing out slight malpositioning of the lower incisors. My clar/sax quartet (two pros included) all have clear "lip bumpers" I've made for us. They only cover the lower incisors (4 teeth) - no need at all to cover the posterior teeth as Terry suggested. They retain well and indeed enhance the roundness of tone by slightly increasing the vertical dimension of the embouchure (opening the oral chamber). Recently, I remade one of them (which had been lost) on the original model. We find them particularly useful as we all double/triple. (traumatic lower lip pressure between instruments is attenuated).
Other applications such as accommodating a missing lower incisor are possible with the help of a dental technician.
Best course of action is to get yourself to a dentist you know to have a lower impression taken and let him/her take it from there. There's not a lot of work involved and really should not be too expensive (consider the price of your new clarinet/mouthpice etc.)
Don't be tempted to use "gooey stuff" or "do it yourself" mouthguards - it will end in tears and fruitless expense.
PS I provide adult orthodontics but would suggest the time and effort and money spent having minimal orthodontic therapy for this purpose could be channelled elsewhere.
BobT
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Author: frenchie
Date: 2002-04-03 01:13
I'm a horn player and I'm just experimenting with different instruments but I've found that dental wax is a very comfortable alternative. It also can be very easily obtained at the store, molds easily, and you can toss it.
Hope it helps --Frenchie
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Author: frenchie
Date: 2002-04-03 01:25
I'm a horn player and I'm just experimenting with different instruments but I've found that dental wax is a very comfortable alternative. It also can be very easily obtained at the store, molds easily, and you can toss it.
Hope it helps --Frenchie
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-03 11:27
Somewhat unorthodox, but I made my own from a block of clear acrylic (wide enough for 4 lower front teeth) and carbon paper, using a dental micromotor handpiece and couple of largish burrs, but a Dremel would do.
1. I bit on the acrylic through the carbon paper.
2. I removed the marks with the burr.
I repeated this many times, and shaped the outside as well as it became apparent what material to remove.
I finished up with a neat tooth guard which fitted really well and was only about 1 mm thick material. It clips on securely, and took about 1-1/2 hours to make. A fun exercise and a sense of achievement, and I saved the dentist expense. No, I'm not a dentist!
I've even got used to playing flute and piccolo with it, when I don't have time to remove it between instruments in pit work.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-04-03 12:09
Sounds great Gordon but didn't you shed a lot of tears...
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-04-03 14:40
No tears at all. No pain at all, if that was what you refer to.
The sense of achievement joy was not quite enough to shed tears over.
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Author: Jean Adler
Date: 2002-04-03 22:22
I saw the dentist today and he is making me a device to fit over my teeth. And, because he and I are pals it isn't costing me a thing.
It will be finished tomorrow. I will have a review for you all then.
Jean
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