Tom Spillman wrote:
Right after the surgery, I went down the hall to the office of my
prosthodontist who installed immediate dentures, so I was not without
teeth for any extended period of time.
My healing has proceeded well. I can now eat better than I could in
years. I even ate a handful of mixed nuts the other night, something
I was unable to do before I started! On the other hand, my horn
playing has gone to hell in a hand basket. I have difficulty
dependably getting above the C on the third space of the treble clef.
My lower register is doing much better. My tone, such as it was,
has disappeared. It is now very raspy. I lost a couple of weeks of
practice and it shows. Of course, my oral cavity has also completely
changed. I have been struggling, to say the least!
A lot of the problem is probably that your front teeth are no longer
shaped the same as they were before the surgery. The embouchure muscles
will have to relearn how to maneuver around the supporting teeth. Of
course, other aspects of the procedure doubtlessly contribute to horn
playing problems too.
It's probably best to take it easy and play like you had to take a long
while off. Start with fundamentals to get everything "working right." If
you "dive right in" too aggressively, you risk developing bad habits.
I'd discuss with your dentist/oral surgeon the physical aspects of horn
playing and see if there's any reason you should actually avoid horn
playing while you heal. Things like high pressure inside the mouth, and
possibly the setting of the jaw might not be conducive to healing.
Best wished for a speedy recovery,
Greg
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