FAQs for musicians
General advice
Although wind, woodwind or brass players will find that having a brace temporarily affects their performance, the good news is that with practice, most adjust to wearing braces. Before you start treatment, let your specialist know whether you play an instrument.
Removable braces
- Tell your specialist how many hours you practice each day – it may be possible to remove your brace for short periods without affecting your treatment
- When you’re not wearing your brace, keep it in a safe place so that you don’t lose or break it
Fixed braces
- Try to arrange the fitting of your new brace at a time when you don’t have important music exams or performances
- Your brace may rub the inside of your lips and cheeks – ask your specialist about the various plastic or wax products you can use to protect your lips whilst playing
- Once your orthodontic treatment is finished, it’ll take a little while to get used to playing without a brace, but your new tooth positions should not affect your ability to play
Wind instruments
- Most wind instrument players get used to wearing a fixed brace within a few months – the more you practice, the quicker you’ll adjust to it!
- Wind instrument players sometimes get a dry mouth whilst playing. If you need a drink, have water ¨ fruit, fizzy or sugary drinks can all damage your teeth. Woodwind instruments
- If you play a woodwind instrument, such as a clarinet or saxophone, you’ll probably adjust to your new brace very quickly – within a few weeks
Brass instruments
- If you play a brass instrument, such as a trumpet or trombone, you may have problems playing high notes for a few months whilst you adjust to your brace
- Some brass players find that the inside of their lips become sore whilst playing. If this is a problem, ask your music teacher if your mouthpiece can be changed for a larger one to help spread the load
