 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2013-04-22 13:36
Not a pleasant topic but one that I'm wondering if other clarinetists find frustrating.
In the U.S., newer and better oral hygiene products arrive on the market all the time to make your breath fresher, your teeth whiter, your gums healthier, etc. Admittedly, I use toothpaste that is supposed to whiten my teeth AND fight cavities. I was using a STRONG mouthwash that was supposed to "outlast" the others.
Here's the problem: these products cause the mucus membrane on the lining of my inner lips and cheeks to peel off. Unfortunately, when I play, this gunk adheres itself to the reed and interferes with the reed's functionality. I find myself constantly having to wipe the reed clean.
I'm thinking I'll have to go back to very basic products to keep this peeling phenomenon from happening.
Has anyone else had problems with this and, if so, what offending products have you stayed away from? (If we aren't allowed to name specific products on this board, perhaps generalize.)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-04-22 14:54
Sounds as though you're experiencing some sort of reaction to something in one or several of the products you're using. You could try an elimination process to try to find out which one/s is the problem. Your GP or dentist may be able to help.
Tony F.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-04-22 15:09
This sounds like a problem with more than gunky reeds. I don't think peeling mucous linings off your lips and cheeks can be good hygiene. I'd personally ditch the "strong" mouthwash and see if the problem stops. There are naturally occurring organisms that are supposed to live in your mouth that begin the process of digestion as you chew your food. I can only guess that the mouthwash is keeping them more or less permanently absent.
If you ask your doctor and/or your dentist, I'd be interested in whether their advice is to change mouthwash or to stop using it entirely for routine everyday use.
Karl
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Author: john4256
Date: 2013-04-22 15:26
My Oral Hygienist has told me never to use a mouthwash as, by and large, they are ineffective. She advises that after you brush your teeth (twice a day) not to rinse your mouth out, rather leave the toothpaste on your teeth to achieve maximum effect.
To achieve good breath use the various brands of dental gum periodically.
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Author: knotty
Date: 2013-04-22 17:16
It would also be very good to brush the tongue with every toothbrushing, they even sell tongue scrapers.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-04-22 18:09
When gunk builds up on my mouthpiece, I wet the area with saliva and scrape it off with my thumbnail. That works, though less well, with reeds. I've found it better to take dirty-looking reeds and scrub them with an old toothbrush, perhaps with a tiny dab of toothpaste.
I used to put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the vamp, which dissolved the oils, but I found that it also dissolved the material between the reed fibers and spoiled the reed.
A soft toothbrush or a tongue scraper will also clean your lips, though I usually use a handkerchief, a Kleenex or an old swab.
I've never had the severe peeling problem you describe, though. I strongly advise you to see a dentist or oral specialist M.D. who can actually see what's happening and find a way to stop or control it.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Taras12
Date: 2013-04-23 02:39
Many mouthwashes contain Phenol. This chemical tends to kill living tissue as does peroxide, a common whitening agent in mouthwashes and tooth paste. You can actually see the dead tissue...it looks like a white film on the mucus membranes. After brushing, a good rinse with good, old-fashioned water is your best bet.
As Ken pointed out, a trip to your dentist wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Sometimes dental and oral problems are a sign of other health problems.
Tristan
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Author: Dan Oberlin ★2017
Date: 2013-04-23 12:31
For more than a year I lived uncomfortably with the same problem C.A. describes. At a dentist appointment a couple of months ago the hygienist asked what toothpaste I was using. When I asked her why she wanted to know, she said that it was causing the mucus membrane on the inside of my mouth to peel off. She told me to switch to a toothpaste without whitener, for example the plainest version of Colgate Total. I did that and the peeling problem was gone in less than 48 hours.
D.O.
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2013-04-23 13:32
Wow. VERY helpful information here, especially the bit about Phenol in mouthwashes and the experience with whitening toothpastes. Tristan, you described exactly what I'm experiencing.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-04-23 13:35
I'm curious, especially after reading Dan's response - were you using the strong mouthwash to try to wash away the gunk that was peeling (perhaps as Dan suggests from the toothpaste) or did you decide to use the mouthwash before the peeling began?
Karl
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2013-04-24 14:43
Karl, I was using these products before the peeling began. I've stopped using my mouthwash this week but the membrane inside my mouth is still peeling. My next step is to scale my toothpaste back to something very basic.
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Author: Taras12
Date: 2013-04-25 02:18
Claire,
Glad to help...Everyone likes "whiter teeth and fresh breath." but the price some "sensitive" people pay can be messy as well as painful. There are a few brands which are fairly mild; Arm & Hammer, Tom's of Maine are the first one's that come to mind. Also be careful with the "Whitening Strips."
It will take about 2 weeks for healing to fully occur, depending on how deep the tissue damage was.
Whitening and oral hygene are best left to your dental professional. Even then, I've seen some pretty nasty reactions to those products as well.
Tristan
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