I have a question concerning the effects of flute playing after dental surgery and its consequences for the healing process. Maybe some of you have made similar experiences they can share. I’ve had a root resectioning surgery last thursday (click here to see an illustration of what it is, it’s a lower jaw back tooth in my case) and I already had to cancel a gig because of it. I am wondering if I’ll be able to play next weekend and – if so – whether I should play at all. Or should I wait longer? Weeks maybe ? Dentists don’t seem to have an opinion on this subject since they don’t know how much pressure is build up against the lower jaw while playing. I would imagine the healing process of the bone defect area might suffer if there is repeatedly put pressure on it. Or am I over-cautious and should just play away as soon as the threads are removed from my mouth? I’ve just had too many bad experiences with my teeth in the past and I don’t want to loose another tooth, you see. Any ideas/experiences?
I’ve had dental surgery once, but that was before I started to play the flute. When the annaestetic (sp?) wore of I was flooded by some of the most excruciating pains I have ever experienced.
The mouth is such a sensitive area.
Playing the flute for a while should not put too much pressure on the jaw, as it should not be pushed against the instrument with any force.
So my thought on this is to simply use common sense. Pain is our body’s way of saying ‘Hit the breaks Bob’ so if you need to take a load of painkillers to get through a gig it’s not a good idea to play the flute.
Man, they’ve got fancy root-canals these days. And fancy euphemisms for them.
I’d have to say that it’s probably fine to let your pain be your guide. If you’re having to take round-the-clock pain killers (be it acetaminophen/paracetamol or aspirin or ibuprofen, or something harder), you probably shouldn’t play for the time being. But, if playing doesn’t change the pain at all, don’t worry about it, particularly if you’re not having to take pain pills.
I’d think something on a back tooth wouldn’t matter all that much, and shoot, how much pressure do you apply to your jaw anyway? Shouldn’t be all that much . . .
Yes, the pain after dental surgery is torture! But what I noticed after having 4 wisdom teeth removed was that, in changing the shape and volume of the air chamber (my mouth), the flutes that played easily for me before the surgery became more difficult and those that had been difficult were more easy. Strange.
I’ve had several root canals. I’ve never had much trouble getting back into playing. With it being a back tooth, there shouldn’t be too much effect on your embouchure from the actual surgery.
Claus, do you really put a lot of pressure on your jaw when you play? This is hard for me to imagine. They normally pack your root area pretty full of other stuff, so it’s well reinforced with the surgery, and I don’t think you’d normally need to worry about injury from flute playing a week or so later. (I’ve never waited that long).
One thing I have noticed with dental work is that sometimes the nerves that they inject the novacaine into may take a while to feel normal. This has resulted in a slightly fuzzy sound for a few days.
I think you can safely let your body be your guide. If it feels OK, it’s probably OK.
? Dentists don’t seem to have an opinion on this subject since they don’t know how much pressure is build up against the lower jaw while playing. I would imagine the healing process of the bone defect area might suffer if there is repeatedly put pressure on it. Or am I over-cautious and should just play away as soon as the threads are removed from my mouth? I’ve just had too many bad experiences with my teeth in the past and I don’t want to loose another tooth, you see. Any ideas/experiences?
so if you need to take a load of painkillers to get through a gig it’s not a good idea to play the flute.
I’ve never had much trouble getting back into playing. With it being a back tooth, there shouldn’t be too much effect on your embouchure from the actual surgery.