[rzzzzz]

I've had cankers all my life. Mostly long stretches without. But I fear with age I have grown just fragile enough to fall prey to whatever little irritation that playing sax causes. I've worked on my embouchure, mindfully reducing jaw pressure, moving my bottom teeth closer to the lip. No dice. Probably more likely with soprano than the bigger horns, which is too bad 'cause I really like soprano. Bigger horns I could probably risk a few minutes here and there to record some stuff.

I also really like the alto flute, which may suit me well if I work harder on the pitch/harmonics. I recently had a great conversation with a woman who degreed in the bigger flutes. She says that C is the only flute that readily stays in tune from bottom to top. She says that outside of the middle octave, the alto is prone to be a little flat on the low octave, which is relatively easy to correct, but the upper octave quickly turns sharp, with the high harmonics going shrill. (Which seems odd if the alto really was Boehm's favorite.). I'll just have to apply myself to make it listenable.

 

[rek]

A couple of ideas for you...

You could try putting something over your lower teeth to spread out the pressure, something fashioned from dental wax or a slip of unbleached waxed paper (usually used for food storage).

Or, you could try dietary mods such as get rid of toothpaste with SLS and fluoride, add a daily green blended drink, or go all the way to a plant based diet. The green drink made the biggest difference for me and the plant based diet put the finishing touches on. No more canker sores. And it's all good for you.

 

[turf3]

Are you talking about canker sores? Personally I had big success by eliminating SLS from my life (it's mostly in toothpaste, used to make it foamy - I don't need my tooth paste to be foamy). These are ulcers of the mucosa inside the mouth. Cause is unknown.

Or, are you talking about "fever blisters" - a herpes virus infection? These are sores/blisters on the red part of the lips, outside. These have receded with time, and I pay a lot of attention to keeping the lips from getting dry and chapped. It also helps to go with softer reeds and less biting.

Two different phenomena, two different causes. Two different remedies.

 

[rzzzzz]

A couple of ideas for you...

You could try putting something over your lower teeth to spread out the pressure, something fashioned from dental wax or a slip of unbleached waxed paper (usually used for food storage).

Or, you could try dietary mods such as get rid of toothpaste with SLS and fluoride, add a daily green blended drink, or go all the way to a plant based diet. The green drink made the biggest difference for me and the plant based diet put the finishing touches on. No more canker sores. And it's all good for you.

I appreciate the suggestions. I've done the toothpaste change, we get a lot of local greens delivered these days. I crush up these giant Lysine horse pills and mix it with my yogurt, lay off the tomatoes, etc. But there's room for improvement, especially if you're saying you've seen real improvement.

The thing with the last sore is that is was more from the lower side of my mouth, rubbing up against a molar as I make what I think is the minimal muscle tightening needed for an embouchure. I could try further loosening. As I said, I think it's more soprano, which I think requires some additional pressure.

I have a selfmolded mouthguard for my lower jaw. I've thought about it, but it's big enough to require move of an effort to get the flesh around it when I pucker. The dental wax idea is interesting. I'll have to give that a try.

 

[1saxman]

Drink more alcohol. It might not cure the cankers but maybe you won't care.

 

[rzzzzz]

Two different phenomena, two different causes. Two different remedies.

Yeah, canker sores for sure. Talked to a bazillion doctors and dentists since I was a kid. Tried a lot of stuff. (Even now I just heard about something new I got to text my current primary about. And laser treatment? Sigh.)

Drink more alcohol. It might not cure the cankers but maybe you won't care.

Yeah, I miss that friendly intervention. (GERD ).

 

[artstove]

I've had those before. The regime recommended to me by a doctor years ago that seems to work well: Liquid acidophilus, Vitamin B, rinse with goldenseal, avoid citrus and strawberries (and SLS in toothpaste, as others have said).

 

[72MkVI]

rzzzzz, I have the same issue. I have tried everything. They showed up in grade school and I'm over 50 now. The biggest thing I did to avoid irritation during play is to have a two lip embouchure. The french one caused a lot of problems. I also suck on some ice after playing. I rinse with salt water.
I think its an overactive immune system. Probiotics might help. I don't use any gels or anything. Benzocaine is a problem for me. Menthol cough drops and salt water rinse is the only things I use for relief. It sucks. Your not alone. Yes soprano puts more pressure

 

[lostcircuits]

I appreciate the suggestions. I've done the toothpaste change, we get a lot of local greens delivered these days. I crush up these giant Lysine horse pills and mix it with my yogurt, lay off the tomatoes, etc. But there's room for improvement, especially if you're saying you've seen real improvement.

The thing with the last sore is that is was more from the lower side of my mouth, rubbing up against a molar as I make what I think is the minimal muscle tightening needed for an embouchure. I could try further loosening. As I said, I think it's more soprano, which I think requires some additional pressure.

I have a selfmolded mouthguard for my lower jaw. I've thought about it, but it's big enough to require move of an effort to get the flesh around it when I pucker. The dental wax idea is interesting. I'll have to give that a try.

I think you are doing everything wrong when it comes to oral care. What I recommend to you is Closys toothpaste and mouthwash and cypress oil (just one or two drops a day, swished around in your mouth). You may complement it with fresh sage and thyme. No lysine or similar, all they do is kill your oral epithelia along with the germs and make a perfect growth media for bacteria.

 

[lostcircuits]

I've had those before. The regime recommended to me by a doctor years ago that seems to work well: Liquid acidophilus, Vitamin B, rinse with goldenseal, avoid citrus and strawberries (and SLS in toothpaste, as others have said).

It's not just the SLS but also the whiteners (H2O2) added to the toothpaste that damage your gums. Acidophilus is good because it helps restoring your good oral flora where the bacteria are your first line of defense against bad germs. And mild salt water also helps but try Cypress oil and Closys. I've literally had 100% success with this recipe with everybody I recommended it to because of chronic tonsillitis or sores.

 

[rzzzzz]

And mild salt water also helps but try Cypress oil

yeah, i do the salt water. Coconut oil. The benzocaine swish with tetracycline. Honey. Plenty of lemon. I've done clove. Zovirax. Probably get back on board with B complex and Zinc. The laser stuff is hard to believe, though I do get some transitory relief.

rzzzzz, I have the same issue. I have tried everything. I also suck on some ice after playing. I rinse with salt water.

A pharmacist recommended basic liquid antacid, which is what I swish with every time I play. I do try ice right after I bites myself, etc., though I don't think it prevents the coming inflammation. I usually have a cup of green tea with lemon and honey nearby anyway when I play, and I save some to swish afterwards.