ORTHODONTICS

Braces can have an impact on a wind musician, especially the brass player.  For some students like the woodwinds,  braces have very little impact.  Most low brass students (trombone, baritone, tuba) also experience very little trouble adjusting to braces.  French horn and trumpet, however,  seem to have the most trouble.  All musicians who will have orthodontic work should read the tips below in order to get the most from their music experience. 

First, please consider the timing of adding or removing braces. Instead of putting them on late into the school year, directly in the time of solo festivals, school band festivals, spring concerts, consider delaying them until the summer, or early in the school year with a minimum of 4 weeks (preferably 8 weeks) from any auditions or performances. The summer particularly works well since most students do not have the performance obligations which occur during school. This would allow students to slowly rebuild their strength over the course of the summer.

Secondly, immediately seek guidance from a private teacher or school director. Steps can be taken from day one which will greatly help the students over come the difficult adjustment period. Too often kids try to over come braces on their own and end up getting into so many poor playing habits that it almost becomes impossible to make any sound. Thirdly, the earlier the age, the better. Students seem to adjust easier to braces earlier in their physical development of playing a brass instrument.

Finally, after having braces installed, try not to have them adjusted within two weeks of a performance as students often experience several days of discomfort, thus making practice almost impossible during that time. Although woodwind players experience the least problems with braces, these slight adjustments to the braces often make the mouth sore enough to inhibit playing for a few days.

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