Whether you’re joining your school band for the first time or you’re a seasoned professional, most musicians who get traditional braces have the same question: “Will I still be able to play my instrument with braces?” Because braces make some major changes to your mouth, it might seem like playing a wind instrument is out of the question. Luckily, that’s not true! It’s definitely still possible to play musical instruments with braces, but you may have to go through a brief adjustment period. Here are some tips that can help!
Spend a Few Extra Hours Practicing
No matter how experienced they are, every musician knows the importance of daily practice. This doesn’t change when you get braces; in fact, the more you practice playing right after getting braces, the more quickly the adjustment period will be over. For the first few days, your braces will probably cause soreness when they’re pressed against your lips, especially if you play a brass instrument. It will take about a week for calluses to build up on the insides of your lips, but once they have, you shouldn’t need to worry about discomfort there anymore. Keep in mind that it may also take some time to retrain your embouchure to hit particularly high or low notes, but your range should be back to normal before you know it.
Use Dental Wax
As the calluses start to form inside your lips, one way to reduce discomfort is to place a piece of dental wax over the parts of your braces that are giving you trouble. This creates a barrier that protects those spots as they toughen. While it may take a few minutes to apply the wax correctly, it can be worth it to deal with less soreness later.
Be Careful When Tonguing
Typically, braces shouldn’t affect tonguing, but they can if you’re also wearing a palatal expander across the roof of your mouth. In that case, you may need to train yourself to tongue in a different way. Many people who play wind instruments start out by tonguing against the roof of their mouth, but if your palatal expander is getting in the way, try to do so against the bottom edge of the back of your upper front teeth. Not only does this avoid your orthodontic appliance, but many musicians find that it gives them greater control.
Just because you’re working to achieve a straighter, healthier smile doesn’t mean you have to give up your musical career. Keep these tips in mind, and within a couple of years, you can have a dazzling smile along with your impressive musical skills!