Re: Re: Wisdon teeth :(....


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Jimmy D. on June 20, 2001 at 18:20:17:

In Reply to: Re: Wisdon teeth :(.... posted by Tracy H on June 20, 2001 at 16:34:38:

Tracy,

I had a eupher friend from high school that had such a procedure done quite a few years ago. He had a very pronounced underbite that had to be corrected by removing 1/2" sections from his lower jaw, then wiring the two sides back together. Pretty radical surgery at the time. His recovery time was about 12-16 weeks, with his jaw wired together the whole time. The upside: he lost about 45 lbs. on a liquid diet for 3 months. The downside: since his jaw was completely different, it changed the entire placement of the mpc. on his embouchure. That part took about 6-8 months to re-learn. But it was worth it to him in the end, because after the recovery, he was able to do things that he had never been able to do before, and was able to grow as a player more quickly then he would have been able to without the surgery. Smart money is to do it ASAP & use the time to recover. I'd hate to have to bounce back from jaw surgery for my Sr. year, when you'll be auditioning for scholarships. It might be worthwhile to get you, your teacher, and your dentist/oral surgeon in the same room at the same time. In that situation, the teacher and dentist might see problems that you haven't necessarily had the experience to anticipate. (Nothing against you, but an adult that knows brass playing might have a different insight for the doc.) It might save some recovery time. Also, it's important to find an oral surgeon that is or has worked on brass players if at all possible (HMO's being what they are). As stated in another post re: wisdom teeth: a numb face is NOT an option. I don't know how radical of an operation you're scheduled to get, but good luck...


Follow Ups: