Brass Meets Dentistry - trumpet trombone tuba embouchure

DENTAL ASPECTS IN PLAYING TRUMPET, TROMBONE, HORN, TUBA AND OTHER BRASS

When I first wrote these articles in 1999, I was I trouble with my Angle Class 2 setup. Playing turned out to be much easier now since I could manage downsizing the trumpet mouthpiece and the air support increased by keeping up with the "Italian tenor posture". Although I updated a little (see:"Improvement"), things described here are still valid, humans don´t change that fast.....Enjoy!

" Brass Meets Dentistry "-- first of all -- at embouchure. No matter, if the instrument is trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba or whatever type of brass, the musician produces sound by using a cup-shaped mouthpiece and lip vibration. To a dentist this may seem to be a very special (mis-) use of chewing apparatus tissues. At least, everbody will agree that certain structures of the oral tissues may get stressed while playing brass instruments.
From time to time musicians, who know me being involved in the subject, come to see me in my office and ask for help because they consider teeth as the most limiting factor concerning their musical capabilities.
If a dentist - or any different physician - has to face a situation like this, he could be urged to leave his typical diagnosic range. The practitioner should keep in mind then the various traps, what means, that the one or the other treatment may ruin musical careers.
What the doctor makes a real specialist ,is his ability to decide whether the asked problem of the musician really is a medical one or if there is a good chance of cure by practizing, may be, with the help of an experienced teacher.
In my opinion, this decision is possible only with a severe knowledge of " what that trumpet - man is talking about ." And there is no better way to find out than playing the horn.
Now, if you consider yourself a specialist in any related field ( not even dentistry, but music, chiropractic or whatever ), please e - mail me. Give a short desciption of what your goal is and you will be posted on this page later.
The musicians often reported a lack of specialists or hard to find them. This homepage wants to give help and wants to ease decisions.
Yet, it is far away from telling the whole truth. Just take hints and feel free to contact me for further discussion.
If you are a musician, feel also free to ask me about your problem with embouchure. I will try to help. Do not induce self - treatment while in doubt !!