Dental Treatment For Wind Musicians

Musicians must be careful about changing the shape and position of their teeth and bite, especially if they play wind instruments. One wrong treatment can negatively and permanently affect a musician's ability to play. That's why it's important to find a dentist who understands the connection between music and dental structure. Fortunately, you can get specialized dental treatments for wind musicians at our practice. Dr. Lambert is a musician himself, so he knows exactly what anxiety musicians can go through when dealing with complicated dental procedures.

Get The Most Reliable Dental Treatment For Wind Musicians At Always About Smiles

Dr. Lambert has more than twenty-five years of experience in the treatment of embouchure, facial pain, dental problems of wind musicians, and selection of appropriate musical instruments for school-age children. An accomplished musician, Dr. Lambert has played alto and tenor sax and clarinet with the American Legion Band of Bethlehem for the last 53 years. He previously served as principal clarinet with the Easton Municipal Band and the Lehigh Valley Italian-American Band, and he currently plays with The Allentown Band, America's oldest civilian band, formed in 1828, most recently performing for a second time at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He returns to his alma mater, Penn State, every year at homecoming to play with the Alumni Marching Blue Band in front of 110,000 fans.

What Is Embouchure, And Why Does Dental Work Affect It?

Combining his extensive experience in playing wind instruments and restorative dentistry allows Dr. Lambert to offer a unique service that simply cannot be found in other dental practices. Music and dentistry blend together when changes in the musician's embouchure affect his or her ability to perform. The embouchure refers to the way the musician's lips, mouth, tongue, teeth, jaws, and muscles of the face interact with an airstream from the lungs and throat to produce quality tone, range, dynamics, and endurance while playing a woodwind or brass instrument.

Because the mouth is so important to wind musicians, the smallest change in a bite, tooth or jaw position, tooth shape, or tongue movement can significantly impact their ability to play. For example, a trumpet player with a chipped front tooth can have the tooth restored with bonding to make it look great from a cosmetic standpoint, but this restoration may ruin his playing career. A horn player may get beautiful cosmetic veneers that may add half a millimeter to the length of her teeth, and this change may wipe out her ability to play really high notes in her upper range.

Even musicians who attempt to play instruments with removable dentures may experience problems with range, sound quality or articulation through their horn. Thankfully, Dr. Lambert is able to provide separate "musical performance" dentures specifically designed for playing in addition to conventional dentures for eating.

Treating The Brass or Woodwind Player

Most dentists cannot understand or appreciate the anxiety brass or woodwind musicians have when an anticipated or complicated dental procedure changes their embouchure and effectively ends their career. Dr. Lambert recognizes the unique requirements for each musician he treats. He centers his treatment for musical problems around making changes to the teeth or bite that are gradual and reversible, especially for front teeth. For larger dental procedures, Dr. Lambert can fabricate temporary trial dental crowns first to allow the musician to regain normal playing embouchure.

He also encourages preservation of the musician's teeth and bite with plaster models as the best insurance against unforeseen or accidental dental problems. Without these plaster study models, the aggravation of dealing with new dental or cosmetic dentistry treatment that doesn't work when trying to play may be impossible to overcome. Dr. Lambert encourages musicians to bring their instruments to the dental office to demonstrate the way they play. This allows the best treatment without negatively affecting the ability to play their instrument. Dr. Lambert works with a wide range of musicians from beginning to professional symphony musicians from across the country, finding personalized dental solutions that achieve higher levels of musical performance.

Selecting Your Child's Musical Instrument

Certain types of brass or woodwind instruments may actually improve or worsen your child's bite by playing pressures on teeth or jaws that are out of alignment. Before your child engages in playing any musical instrument, that in many cases was selected with little thought by parents or music teacher, let Dr. Lambert recommend a proper instrument for your developing child.

Questions musicians ask before dental work

Can a crown, veneer or bonding on a front tooth change the way I play?

It can, and the change doesn't have to be large to matter. The smallest change in a tooth's shape or length, in your bite, or in your jaw position can affect your embouchure: bonding on a chipped front tooth can look great and still ruin a trumpet player's playing, and a veneer that adds half a millimeter to the length of a tooth can take away a horn player's highest notes. That's why I plan your dental work around the way you play, not only the way the tooth looks.

How do you keep dental work from changing my embouchure?

Wherever I can, I keep changes to your teeth and bite gradual and reversible, especially on your front teeth. For larger procedures, I can make temporary trial crowns first, so you have time to get your normal playing embouchure back before anything is made final.

Should I bring my instrument to my appointment?

Please do. When you play for me in the office, I can see the way you actually play, and that lets me plan treatment that won't take away from your ability to play your instrument. I work with musicians at every level, from beginners to professional symphony players.

What are plaster study models, and why would I want them?

They're models that preserve your teeth and bite as they are today. I encourage every wind musician to have them, because they're the best insurance against an unforeseen or accidental dental problem: without them, new dental work that doesn't feel right when you play can be almost impossible to put right.

Can I still play my instrument if I wear dentures?

Dentures can affect your range, your sound quality and your articulation through the horn, which is hard when music is part of your life. I can make a separate set of "musical performance" dentures designed just for playing, alongside your regular dentures for eating.

Are you a musician looking for a dentist who understands your embouchure needs with dental care?

Would you like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lambert? Please give us a call at (610) 868-9928 or send us a message using our online contact form. Either way, we will be happy to help you find a date and time that works well with your schedule. Don't allow poorly planned or existing generic dental work to keep you from pursuing your passion. We can help you get the musician-friendly care you need today.