Question:
I play trumpet and I'm thinking of getting my teeth bonded. My upper front
teeth are separated by noticeable spaces, though they are straight.
I'm wondering how durable bonding is. Will playing trumpet damage the
bonding (by vibration or any physical shock)?
Any players out there with bonded teeth that can share their experiences?
Any dentists care to share their wisdom?
Answer:
I had my teeth bonded over 15 years ago and it's still there. Teh
playing has had no effect on it. It's very durable and has help up
well. you'll never notice it.
i am having a prob right now with my wisdom teeth. they are coming
through and pushing the others around. Is there a way to fix the problem
because i have to change my ombesure (spelling??) every week.
During the bonding procedure, the enamel is etched with an acid gel to
produce a rough, very clean surface which is for a strong mechanical bond. A
thick liquid is then usually
added which will adhere very strongly to both the tooth and the composite
resin (small,hard particles in a resin). The composite resin is added to
close the gap or repair the chip/defect and most often hardened by the
application of a strong light which starts a chemical hardening process.
Bonding is pretty much waht it sounds like. the dentist puts a second
surface over the teeth to correct various things. you can clean up gaps
to some extent. In my case, I had it done to clean up some very yellow
teeth in the very front (that way since birth).
It's been my experience that the most minute change to the surface
of the upper central or lateral incisors can be either a great
improvement or completely devasting to a player's facility,so be
extremely careful.I've had bonding last for approximately three years.
I agree. In fact, I'm in the process of having bonding done on the surface
of my bridge (covers missing upper front incisors). When my bridge was
replaced a year ago, I found that my range and response worsened. I've
had some bonding done so that the surface of the bridge has a prominence
where the two front incisors meet. After the first adjustment I found
that my range increased about a major third. Maynard I'm not, but it sure
is nice to have a strong high C again.
I found a dentist who has agreed to work with me and we're doing the
alterations is stages. Many of the dentists I talked to were _not_
interested in doing this, thought I was crazy ... Bonding on top of
porcelain is probably not as safe as bonding to a real tooth.
I'd really like to find more information on teeth formation as it relates
to trumpet players. I've been given some anecdotal information that
the most advantageous structure seems to be where the two upper front
incisors form a slight V-shape with a prominence near the center of the
embouchure. My experience with the bonding seems to back this up, so far.
Any pointers to books on this topic would be appreciated.
Of course, changing the shape of your teeth won't make up for lack of
practice or improper technique. In my case, it sure has helped.
