Dentures

[Dan Schultz]

Well, Schlep.... I quit playing for over 30 years and when I returned to playing, I had a partial upper anchored to only two of my old remaining teeth. It doesn't bother me a bit. I play better now than I ever did and have enough 'chop stamina' to do three or four 2-hour gigs on a weekend during the month of October. Through the rest of the year, I play 2 hours a day, 5 days a week. I don't really have a good basis for comparison since 30 years lapsed between 'lots of teeth' to 'almost no teeth' but today I seem to do just fine. I've been told 'uppers' are easier to get along with than 'lowers'.

[Chuck Jackson]

If you absolutely need dentures because the bone, not the teeth, is eroding away, consider getting dental implants in the back teeth. They drill right into the bone and anchor teeth to the posts. This way you will have a stable platform for the dentures and thus shouldn't have a problem keeping the plate in place. If memory serves me correct, the bone in back deteriorates at a slower pace than the front. FWIW, I had implants done with porcelain crowns on my front 4 teeth and they work great, albeit VERY pricey because of the cosmetic issues involved. It's worth looking into.

Chuck

[ThomasP]

My old teacher had dentures and was unable to play at the ability he once had. He explained the problem with not being able to feel anything, like mouthpiece pressure and the buzzing. He is able to make a sound, but he made the decision to give up playing. He tried implants or something like that but they were rejected due to diabetes. Maybe this is helpful...

[Chuck Jackson]

Larry,
I feel your pain, really. I would make sure I was put under the next time, the pain, while not excrutiating, was present after 8 shots of novocaine. I still think that implants are the best way to go. I know it is a lot of work and money, but it is well worth it if you want to keep playing. For me it was totally psychological. After 30 years of playing, my front teeth took a beating, much of it due to two root canals on my front teeth. The teeth had died and were grey. When I decided to quit playing for conducting, I sold most of my horns and put the money right into my teeth. I was VERY happy with the results and am glad to say it isn't an embarassment to smile anymore. The other upside is that recently I picked up a tuba and messed around for a 1/2 hour and not only did my teeth not hurt, but I had absolutely no trace of the dystonia issues I was having. My teeth are now perfectly straight and the mouthpiece sits just a little different, hence the change in chops. If at all possible, see if your dentist will make payment arrangements, it is worth the effort. For a comparison, my total bill came to $8,800. It seems like alot, but if the bone is intact, now is the time to do it right. My oral surgeon said that bone will, over time, form around the posts thus strengthening it. Also, any of the work not covered on your dental plan(none of mine was) is a tax deduction on a schedule C. Good luck and keep us apprised of your progress.

[tubatooter1940]

My problem was bone loss around the teeth. Before the two implants went in to support the lower plate. My surgeon inserted "donor bone" to build the gum back up which grows in fine if the patient is healthy. I spent $7,000 and play tuba better than ever if I practice.