HELP!!!Scheduled at dentistfor putting braces(prosthetic)!

[MacedoniaTuba]

Hi guys, I scheduled at my dentist for braces on 13th of October. I was asking a lot of people about this and nobody told me that they've ever had such a case of brass player doing it and kept playing. I need help,before I decide for it. I tried to give my brother my tuba and make him play(even though he is not musician and have never played an instrument,but he has braces installed). He didn't had any troubles or feeling any pain in his mouth and he said he just feel little bit weird. I made him play with some pressure on the mouthpiece and he still didn't felt anything. After I pressed to much on him,he said it's painful. But I don't believe that I would ever press that much. Also,I talked with a guy who used to wear braces prosthetic in high school and he used to play trumpet. He said that it was hard for him(since it's a smaller mouthpiece,more pressure etc.),but because he was young and lazy,he said he was using it as an excuse not being ready for class. In the beginning,he said it will be hard cause the feeling is weird,but you'll get used on it,that's what he said. I must decide cause it's for the better health and long-term teeth. On the other side,I just graduated and started as volunteering at the Macedonia Philharmonic orchestra with possibility to start my career there. Kind of important decision
Cheers!

[hup_d_dup]

I understand your concern regarding braces. I have known many people who went through this, and I currently have braces now. Braces don't affect all people the same way, and don't affect the playing of all musicians the same way, so no one can say exactly how they will affect you or your playing.

However, there are some generalizations. After some initial discomfort, most people can adjust to playing with braces. For sure, your playing will be severely compromised for at least a week and possibly longer, so you should not schedule any important playing dates for a month or so after you expect to have the braces installed. There is a relatively small subset of people who cannot make a satisfactory adjustment but they only seem to be trumpet players. I happen to be one of them. After six long frustrating weeks I gave up and changed to the tuba. It wasn't a question of pain or discomfort; the problem was that I was not able to establish a stable fit between my embouchure and the trumpet mouthpiece. Since that time I have met a number of tuba and euphonium players who went through a similar experience and never went back to trumpet.

So the good news for you is that as a tuba player you can be much more confident of making a good adjustment to braces than you would if you were a trumpet player. Just take it easy at first and don't get discouraged.

Hup

[NCSUSousa]

I had braces from Grade 7 through Grade 11 (over 5 years total) when I was in school.
They were part of the reason I switched from Trumpet to Tuba in Grade 7. I had the same general experience as Hup. I couldn't really play trumpet with the braces.
That wasn't an issue with Tuba.

You may need to try a different mouthpiece with braces.
I was recommended to use a rounded rim mouthpiece, but I found my best sound came on a Helleberg (medium diameter, sharp inner rim). Luckily I was able to try a few mouthpieces to figure this out. You may need to make a similar mouthpiece adjustment since your old mouthpiece may not rest on your face the same as before.

[Michael Bush]

I also did fine. Like NCSUsousa, this is how I became a tuba player in the first place. In the mid-70s, braces were much worse for this than they are now. They were like little knives attached to your teeth. Trumpet was out of the question, but tuba worked fine. With today's braces, one of my sons actually managed to continue playing the french horn.

[tusabtuba]

My granddaughter played trumpet with braces. Just like anything, you become used to it. Chip a tooth, and you'll notice it for a few days and then it is ignored. Just go ahead and play. If you have any bleeding, etc. see if the orthodontist can smooth that area out. Good luck and don't make a big issue of it. Keep buzzing!

Tusabtuba

[MacedoniaTuba]

Thank you guys,this was the information I needed. I really needed people exprtienced in braces.
Cheers!

[DavidK]

Get flexible dental wax to cover the braces. You will adapt to it. There will be a period of adjustment but you will adapt. Use it without fail.

You need to protect the inside tissue of your lips, otherwise you will develop scar tissue where the mouthpiece rim causes your lips to make contact with the braces. I have slight railroad track scars on the inside of my chops. I wised up and got the wax. Used it for practice and performance from 12 grade through 2 years of college playing.

You will go through 1-2 days of discomfort following each time your braces are adjusted. You will adapt and learn to "play through" this situation. Focus on the long term goal.