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Well, I went to the sadist... I mean the dentist today. He commented on how "strong" my teeth were, and how everything including the wisdom teeth were right were they should be - and I have never worn braces. He mentioned several times that he wished his teeth were like mine.
I am sick of all the well meaning parents and even teachers who steer kids away from low brass because it could "ruin their smile." I am in my mid-30's and have played tuba regularly since age ten, often for many hours a day. If one is to play correctly, no detrimental dental hey thats a tongue twister problems will result from the tuba mouthpiece. Of course, I do realize that many players do have a genetic disposition towards crooked or otherwise displaced teeth, but that is genetics and not a result of proper tuba playing.
Myth Busted!
Feel free to forward this to a potential student.

lol born and bred in NJ and NY - didn't move south of the Mason-Dixon line until 23.
But you would be surprised how many people I have heard over the years tell me that playing the tuba will mess up your teeth or make you need braces. I guess its just something about that big mouthpiece that is intimidating.

I have heard the myth, and I agree. It is a @#$%^&* myth and nothing but !@#$%^&*. Now, the fact that, as a direct opposite to Marty, I have had all of my wisdom teeth out (impacted), both bottom 12th year molars and another bicuspid that cracked, AND braces as a teenager, has nothing to do with brass playing. As a matter of fact, I was glad to be able to march with a sousaphone so I could KEEP playing in spite of the braces, as I had started on trumpet.

iiipopes wrote:I... I was glad to be able to march with a sousaphone so I could KEEP playing in spite of the braces, as I had started on trumpet.

So what you are saying is it is the trumpet that ruins teeth.

No, the teeth problems were caused by the fact that I inherited my father's teeth on the right side and my mother's teeth on my left side, and they didn't fit together. Add an overbite, and, well, we've been there enough.

The pain and the tendency of the wires to make steak tartar out of the insides of my lips are the issue. Bloody mouthpieces aren't fun. Now that the teeth are out, and I can relax my jaw more, I actually have better tone than I did have.

And then, there is what happens during a full moon ...

Tooth braces are very healthy! But mostly for the wallets of the dentists.

I have been through the horrors of a brace, because my upper front teeth are misaligned.

The brace caused tensions and speech problems. And a slower development as a brass player.

A decade after the brace was no longer in use, the front teeth jumped back into their original position during a concert. After that my speech and my playing improved. No more tensions.

There are people, who suffer from objective medical problems caused by their genetically determined dental line up. Let them be helped, but forget about the cosmetics-alone cases. All those fake smiles aren’t of my taste.

A trumped playing dentist even suggested, that people with well aligned frontal teeth should have made a little sleeve with a sharp edge, so that they would avoid mouthpiece pressure. With one natural sharp central edge, I need no such device.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

SMILE!

He's got alot to ask for next Christmas...

SplatterTone wrote:SMILE!

If that was a reference to my posting, then this sample may display neglect more than anything else.

It cannot be denied, that bad teeth carry a social stigma with them.

But well maintained teeth most often are accepted despite some misalignment.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

My dentist told me my teeth were fine but my gums had to come out.
Seriously, playing tuba with little or no pressure and keeping a soft pliable lip should not be a problem for most people. As I get older I suffer from burning the hide off my lip area inside the mouthpiece when I play too loud or too long. It is possible to play tuba very well with full dentures if the lower is anchored with jaw implants.

Honestly, I don't have any teeth, except for my incisors. I went through fillings, braces, and wisdom teeth extractions. The braces didn't really affect my playing that much. Fillings and extractions did... until...

About 12 years ago I lost most of my teeth due to a life threatening illness. My doctors told me I was lucky I lost my teeth and not my life. I agree.

Anyway, I thought about getting implants but it didn't work out for me. So I wear two partial plates. I was concerned that mutiple tonguing would be affected. (The plate goes across my palate on top.) It didn't affect anything.

And.... If I get any really low parts, I can really belt them out by taking out my teeth!

Wow! I feel blessed not to have my teeth.