I’ve often heard it said, especially by older players when speaking of even older players from times gone by: “They had to give up the flute, they lost their teeth…”
Now, in about 2 hours time I’m due at the dentist to have a rather large cracked molar ripped out of my top jaw. It got me to wondering about teeth and flutes. I’m not likely to want to play mine straight after having a tooth yanked out, and besides which with my elbow in its current state I couldn’t do more than about 10 minutes anyway.
But, which teeth are important? I can see that the front bottom teeth provide support for the lower lip and resist the pressure of the headjoint, and I imagine that the upper front teeth likewise supports the top lip. Wouldn’t false teeth do the same? How many teeth can we lose before flute-playing becomes physically impossible? Anyone here able to play perfectly well with dentures?
I took up band flute in Elementary school. Either shortly before or not long afterwards, I knocked out my two top front teeth in a playground accident. The teeth were wired and glued back in place and held until I was in high school, when I got a bridge. Throughout that period, there were constant adjustments being made to the teeth and the system that held them in place while my jaw finished growing. I don’t remember major problems with the flute, although the hardware would sometimes irritate the inside of my upper lip. And I do remember having to make intonation adjustments from time to time – of course, being a dumb kid, I was probably oblivious to intonation 95% of the time.
That being said, if all you are loosing is a molar, you should be fine – or at least no short-term problems that can’t be solved by Percoset or whiskey!
When I got home from the dentist’s after the extraction, the three shots of novocaine (or whatever it is they use) were still in full effect, I was still in shock, and deciding that my elbow could stand it for 30 seconds or so I picked up the M&E and tried a scale or two. In the interests of science and stupidity, of course.
It’s very interesting trying to play flute when you can feel the entire left hand side of your face! Surprisingly, I got a not-unpleasant tone, but very quiet, easier in the second octave than the first. I quit after a couple of scales because I started dribbling like an idiot.
Thanks Kate, I did indeed resort to my trusty Cragganmore once the anaesthetic wore off and the pain kicked in.
Surprised and disappointed that we’ve no other thoughts on the subject of teeth and flutes; it would certainly help if someone who plays ‘sans gnashers’ would raise their head above the parapet and tell us it’s nowt to worry about.
Glad to hear that’s over and done with now! We do have an acquaintance
with at least partial uppers who is a flute and whistle player, though I
guess not on this board? but he just kept a bit of the denture glue in the
flute case for times of need. And as I recall rather a nice tone out of the
flute as well.
Even mentioning the word teeth makes my eyes water but maybe my experience might set some at ease. I started playing flute missing one upper front tooth. A year or so later a horse I was training decided to knock another upper front tooth out with a superb head butt as he reared up to try and unsadle me. Both are still gone along with most of my lower molers, heck I just cant see putting out money for dental work when it can be spent on flutes instead. I dont know what affect this condition has on my emboucher but it hasn`t stopped me from playing. Where theres a will theres a way.
I have to presume, here, that the most important teeth to a flute player would be the lower four in front. As I still have mine intact, I’m a bit unwilling to experiment.
Hi all
I have been worried for quite some time as my two lower front teeth were loose and getting worse over a period of time, these teeth are very important
when playing the flute, i already have upper front dentures for a number of years, so finally it happened three weeks ago while i was eating dinner one of the teeth cracked and left part of the tooth down in the gum, so the next day
i had to go to the surgeon to remove it and i told him as he was doing that he
might as well remove the other loose tooth, now i have to wait six weeks for
replacements, anyway i gave the flute a try last week and although i did’nt
get the good solid tone that i was used to (i was expecting a very weak tone)
i was surprised that i could get a fairly decent sound although the tone was softer i could still play a tune but it was taking a lot more air as i was loosing
quite a bit through the lower lip, but i know now that il be able to play and get the same tone when i get my replacement teeth, might take a few weeks getting used to adjusting againn,
By the way my father had upper and lower dentures and playedthe flute
for many years.
All the best to all.
Hi glinjack, and many thanks for yours (and Blackbeer’s) post; certainly eases my mind! I learned from my older brother last night that he’s “losing teeth at the rate of about one every eight months” and he’s only 4 years older than I am! If this turns out to be congenital, I’m really going to have to kick my father’s 'arris… it was bad enough he didn’t mention the baldness to us until it was too late, but if he’s been keeping this up his sleeve (or rather in a glass on the bedside table) all these years I shan’t be at all happy!
I’m with Gary - this thread has made me feel better about the teeth issues.
As for parents, my wife the other looked at me and said that if she knew all the freaky healthy problems my family had she’d have thought twice about marrying me…I told her if I’d know about all the freaky health problems I’d have thought twice about being born!
Parents, you just can’t trust them…and I’m one now.
