Orthodontic Appliances For Wind Instrument Players

Having straight teeth can help you feel confident about your appearance. However, straight teeth do not come naturally for some people. As a result, many people who want perfectly aligned teeth must use an orthodontic appliance to achieve the results they want. Although there are many appliances available for use, they may not allow you the freedom to enjoy hobbies that involve your lips. For instance, if you regularly play a wind instrument, you may not be able to position your lips properly, since many orthodontic devices rest on the front surface of your teeth for the duration of your treatment. Still, there are orthodontic appliances that still allow you to move your lips in a natural way so you can still enjoy playing the wind instruments you love. Here are a few of them:

Invisalign

Invisalign and other types of clear plastic aligners used fitted mouth trays to realign the teeth. The trays, which are made of clear plastic, help coax the teeth into proper position. Since the teeth will shift towards their desired placement as the pressure from the aligners is applied over time, multiple sets of aligners are prescribed to achieve the final result.

Each set of aligners is worn for a couple of weeks and then replaced with the next set in the prescribed treatment plan. Although the aligners are removable, they cannot be left out of the mouth for extremely long periods, because without consistent aligning pressure, the teeth will move too slowly, prolonging your course of treatment.

Nevertheless, removing the aligners to play a musical instrument is fine. 

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are positioned on the side of the teeth that is opposite to the front surface where traditional braces are normally placed. The braces are called lingual braces because their positioning is on the tooth surface that is closest to the tongue.

After an application of lingual braces, the teeth are straightened as effectively and quickly as they are with traditional braces. However, the lingual braces do not encumber the movement of the lips. Thus, although the braces are not removable, playing a wind instrument should be as easy as it was prior to the placement of the appliance.

To learn more about orthodontic appliances that don't hinder the movement of the lips or involve the placement of brackets on the front surface of the teeth, schedule an appointment with an orthodontist in your area.