An embouchure aid for saxophone player

Ho-Jin Moon

doi:10.5395/rde.2012.37.1.54

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This article has been corrected. See "Erratum: Correction of inverted Figures in Table 1" in Volume 37 on page 128.

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Moon: An embouchure aid for saxophone player

Case Report

Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics

Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics 2012; 37(1): 54-60.

Published online: 2 March 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2012.37.1.54

An embouchure aid for saxophone player

Ho-Jin Moon

Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Lab., Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.

Correspondence to Ho-Jin Moon, DDS, MSD. Researcher, Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Lab., Dankook University, Sinbu-dong, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, Korea 330-716. TEL, +82-10-2062-5288; FAX, +82-41-553-5288; alkydes@dankook.ac.kr

Received 6 December 2011 Revised 16 January 2012 Accepted 20 January 2012

©Copyights 2012. The Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry.

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study aims to introduce the method that can relieve vibrating forces to oral environment by making an embouchure aid. Thin plastic crown forms were fabricated to prevent tooth abrasion and irritation to lip mucosa for the saxophone player. After application to the player, the most comfort form was chosen and delivered to 3 professional saxophone players. After 5 mon, the players responded to the survey. This embouchure aid did not disturb playing and gave comfort to lower lip. In general, the players preferred thin soft type and thought it caused little effect on sound. Far too little attention has been paid to the problems encountered by single-reed wind instrumentalist who suffer from tooth abrasion and irritation to lip mucosa. The embouchure aid not only prevent tooth damage but also diminish the discomfort of tight embouchure.

Keywords: Embouchure aid, Lip irritation, Pressure molding technique, Saxophone, Tooth abrasion, Wind instrument

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Saxophone embouchure (an embouchure for the single reed instrument). Reproduced from Porter MM (1967).

Figure 2

Case 1. Intraoral photographs taken prior to treatment (upper incisors, facial view).

Figure 3

Case 1. Intraoral photographs taken after resin treatment (upper incisors, facial view).

Figure 4

Stress-focused area in saxophone embouchure (upper incisors).

Figure 5

Stress-focused area in saxophone embouchure (lower incisors).

Figure 6

Embouchure aid from the pressure mold technique.

Table 1

The pilot design of embouchure aid

Retention (+++, too much ; ++, tight; +, moderate; -, loose; --, too loose)

Disturbance (+++, too disturbing; ++, disturbing; +, comfort)

Table 2

Thickness and layer type of embouchure aid

Retention (+++, too much; ++, tight; +, moderate; -, loose; --, too loose)

Disturbance (+++, too disturbing; ++, disturbing; +, comfort)

Table 3

Survey reply after 6 months

n.s., non-specific.

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