<p>Also totally unrelated and maybe not even worth noting, but all of the professional trumpet players I know say that all the best trumpet players have crooked teeth - something about how it affects the air flow. This thread is interesting - I have a 7th grader who plays trumpet, and we’re still waiting to see if he’s going to need braces…</p>
<p>^^No, I don’t think it’s unrelated–and it’s true that the trumpet players I know also don’t have straight teeth. ^</p>
<p>LegendofMax–how exactly did you keep the teeth clean? Did you use a waterpik, or just a lot of brushing?</p>
<p>I’m trying to think back…</p>
<p>I am pretty sure I didn’t need any special tools – I had to brush for like twice as long as usual though to make sure I hit all the angles. Definitely rinsed with a lot of germ-killing mouthwash just in case. That should probably be enough, really.</p>
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<p>This is a great idea since the mouthpieces are larger and would put less pressure on teeth. </p>
<p>Another thought would be to ditch middle school band (obviously, the band director is one reason why your son doesn’t want to continue), take private lessons at your own pace and then pick up high school band. By then, the transition to braces and playing his instrument will have worked itself out.</p>
<p>Greg Black makes a mouthpiece that is designed for braces. It has a deeper cup and the edges don’t cut as much. My daughter used this MP, and although she still had some discomfort when playing all day, she was much better off using it.</p>
<p>And, if he uses a little more pucker and faster air flow, he can reduce the pressure on his chops.</p>
<p>lol, re: crooked teeth…DH has a kinda crooked front tooth. He was a trumpet player. In mid. sch. his Mom took him to the ortho. who told her that his crooked tooth could easily be fixed with braces but it was mostly a cosmetic thing so braces were not mandatory.<br>
So she let DH, age 12, make the decision! Of course he said “No” to braces.
He ended up being first chair in the h.s. band and went to all state band with his crooked tooth. Now, he wishes he had gotten it fixed.</p>
<p>My son is a trumpet player as well. Got braces in middle school about 3 weeks before solo and ensemble contest. His band director suggested instead of wax to try cigarette paper folded up. It worked for my son. I felt really funny buying it, though!!</p>
<p>The band director called today and was actually very sympathetic and suggested switching ds to the baritone. He said it makes sense because he plays the bass, and it’s a lot less pressure on his mouth. DS tried it today and seems sold on the idea, so I think this will work. Also band director really pumped him up and was very complimentary because I think he didn’t want to lose his bass player and realized maybe that he’d been too negative lately. It’s a happy ending because I want him to at least give high school band a try, and this way he’ll get to do that.</p>
<p>Thanks all!</p>
<p>Very good news, Helenback! (great name, btw. I just got it when I said it in my head while typing it:)).</p>
<p>Hope it works out. I have callus to this day in my mouth from years of playing bassoon with braces. I used to keep that baby stuff Oragel on my music stand and also soaked my reeds in a liquid baby teething medicine. My oldest played trumpet with braces and also had a painful go of it. Ah the memories that I had so conveniently forgotten. Definitely a rite of passage those braces + band. Good luck to the kids, you do get “used” to it after a while.</p>