Getting My Teeth Filed....

[Alan G]

Ok - when I was much younger - I managed to chip the edges of my two front teeth (I was holding a metal flashlight in my mouth...oops). This has resulted in a jagged edge to my teeth - sorta cuts into my Mouthpieces.

I finally got around to asking my dentist - and he's gonna polish em smooth sometime in July.

I recall reading a topic somewhere (on the old forum?) that there may be a down side to doing this - to the effect that it causes the oral cavity to be smaller. Hmmmm.

Any Comments? Has anybody else had this done?

[Kosma]

Alan, If you haven't already, take a look at the "False Teeth" thread.

The consensus seems to be that it doesn't cause a problem beyond a short adjustment period.

[RatBatBlues]

I had a chip in my front tooth which would tear through the rubber tooth guard and gouge my HR mouthpiece. Instead of filing the tooth down, my dentist filled it in with some epoxy material - is this an option for you? It should keep the overall tooth size the same, and keep the oral cavity consistent.

[Alan G]

Aaaa - the False Teeth tread - I'll check it out!

RatBatBlues (what a handle!) - I hadn't thought of that - I'll ask. My dentist looked at the teeth - and felt he could polish em down with out affecting the "bite" . . . . ."you want to be able to bite through a piece of lettuce". So, perhaps in your case, too much would have to be removed, and the epoxy option was used. Thanks for the reply. I'll be sure to ask about the glue!

[Jack W.]

I just had my bottom front four (or six?) teeth filed to make them narrower as part of my lower braces regimen. I can't notice any difference when playing either flute, clarinet, or saxophone.

However, it is a bit nervewracking when they get out this thing that looks for all the world like a miniature belt sander.... :shock:

[jazziz1]

A few years ago I managed to get a chip in one of my top front teeth (thanks to a hostile beer bottle). Just a small one chip, but it cut into my mpc pretty badly. I asked my dentist to file it and he did...never had any problems.

[madav]

better than filing your tone holes....

[popsax]

Did you get them "French filed"?

[Howlin]

As a thought another poster mentioned the use of cigarette papers to alleviate the problem of lower teeth cutting. I have made a rubber guard to minimise this problem on soprano and have had dentist smooth jagged teeth to good effect.

[Sigmund451]

My teeth are no more jagged than the average persons bottom teeth. It seems natural for the bottom to have more high spots across the front than the top. It does create some inside discomfort when Im playing. First off, How long should it take for this to stop....Ive been playing for a while now. Also, Im understanding that they can be filed from reading this but does it make a big difference and are there any long term dental issues associated? Ive read about the inserts, paper and plastic but I cant say Im too into that whole production. Any voices of experiences here?

[Jon B. Bop]

During the first six months of my playing, I would be in agony after 45 minutes. I too thought it was embuchure, so I struggled along assuming it would get better with time. Finally I had my dentist file down a jagged edge that protruded from one of my bottom teeth, and presto! pain gone.

My dentist said there was no potential problem in doing this.

[Sigmund451]

I talked to a dentist and he said the same. Then I went home and looked in the mirror and noticed that my two front bottom teeth are higher and sharper than the surrounding two...so they are doing a nice job poking into my inside lip in order to allow the other two teeth to make appropriate contact ....no wonder it hurts...even after playing for a little while.
The dentist said it may be possible to write it up in a way that insurance covers it so Im probably going to go for it. From a close self exam of my teeth via a sax perspective leads me to believe that the problem will continue despite the passing of time. Id just asoon not hurt...Im only machocistic enough to play the sax, not to hurt while playing :lol:

Thanks for your input.

[buffalo]

After reading this post earlier this summer. I ask my dentist and he smoothed the front edges of my bottom teeth. It did not hurt at all and has been a really good improvement. I might even have him take a little more down latter he only just smoother the. I have found another rough spot lately just only doing a very small amount at a time. The dentist did not even charge me for it only took 7-8 minutes.

[Sigmund451]

I JUST DID IT. I talked to the dentist, showed him what was happening with mouthpiece in tow and he took his fancy dremel tool and smoothed the offending teeth that were digging their way into my lower inside lip when I played. Boy was that a good ideal. Thanks guys for the thread and the input. Its much easier to maintain consistent technique when your not in pain.

[Stacey]

There's another strategy that works, but I don't usually recommend it. When I was younger, playing for very long would cause me a lot of lower lip pain. I solved it using the following method:

- Go to college for a field you don't enjoy. Do it because you're good at math.
- Take a job in which you can forget everything you just learned. Keep that job for several years.
- Take a new job in which you suddenly need to know all of the stuff you just spent five years forgetting!
- Make sure your boss is certifiably a Type A personality, preferably with a bit of a Napoleon complex.
- Develop extreme career anxiety, causing you to develop a habit of severe teeth-grinding in your sleep.
- The high, uneven points on your teeth (both upper and lower) will magically melt away while you sleep!

This takes a very long time, but achieves excellent results. Oh - after you've got the results you want, don't forget to quit your job and move on to something more enjoyable!

[Sax_on_legs]

I've had this done over Christmas. I have chips on my upper teeth which also rips mouthpiece patches. I had them filed - it took about 10 minutes or a little more, and it is totally pain free. You can also watch your teeth in the mirror after every filing and communicate with the dentist until it is just right. It is a simple procedure and the costs are also low.

For my bottom teeth, I use a 'patch' to stop them from digging into my lower lips as the problem is caused by badly formed teeth - no amount of filing will solve the problem!. You can buy mouthguards from sportsshops - they look like the ones used by boxers on their upper teeth. When you put it in hot water, they lose their shape, so you can take it out and mould them to the shape of your teeth before it cools. Try cutting a strip about an inch long, put it in boiling water for 10 seconds and mould it quickly over your bottom teeth. You'll need to do this quite a few times to get it perfect, especially if you're doing this for the first time. But once you've got the knack of it, you'll never experience problems with your lower teeth again. It is also a much cheaper alternative to what some people have done, which is to get the same thing made at a local dentist.