Hello,

I haven't been to the forum for a long time, although I've carried on playing the horn and I can say I've improved hugely since I was last here. My confidence has improved a lot, too.

I have a question that's been bugging me for some time, in case someone over here can help me, having been in the same case.

My dentist told me some time ago that my wisdom teeth are placed in a bad position. They haven't come through, and they won't, since all four of them are in an almost horizontal position, pointing towards the root of the adjoining tooth. Those teeth in my lower jaw, besides, have their roots around a nerve, which makes it possible (how likely or unlikely, I don't know) that the nerves might be damaged when taking the teeth out. Apparently, the teeth might be problem-less, or they might be the type that develop into a cyst, and then they would have to be removed. But my dentist cannot know the exact risks or what is recommended in my case (leaving the teeth alone or taking them out), so I should go and consult a maxillofacial surgeon.

I'm planning to do so in the short or medium term, but I'd like to know your opinion on how much such an operation would affect my playing. Of course, if it goes wrong and my nerves are damaged, I assume this would mean the end of my horn playing (I've heard things about facial paralysis and horrors like that). But do you think that if the operation is successful I would be able to carry on playing as usual? I don't know whether the pressure and strain that's put on one's mouth when playing may be too much or not, especially if there's some jawbone loss.

Of course, the surgeon will be able to give me proper advice as to the advisability of undergoing the operation or not, and the chances of being able to lead a "normal life" afterwards, but I don't know whether horn playing falls into "normal life" or into "extreme activities" for an operated mouth.

I'd appreciate any input. Even if playing weren't involved, I'd still be scared to death with this.

I've had wisdom teeth removed without adverse effect on my playing. (I'm a bassoon & sax player). I have read of people not playing for a couple of weeks until the hole has healed but I went back to playing after 2 days once the bleeding had stopped. Many friends have had the same experience - I haven't known any of them have lip problems after the anaesthetic has worn off. Just my experience.

Good luck.

Thanks for your contribution. I'm glad to hear that. Do you think that having surgery to remove all four wisdom teeth which are buried deep in the jaw, instead of having them pulled out in the normal way makes any difference? I do hope everything will turn out fine, but I'm terrified. Luckily, it'll involve general anesthesia and I won't be awake while it's going on. I'm very afraid of dentists.

I have no idea on this. Mine were extracted normally. That sounds like a question for the medical people.

Hope all goes well.

I had two impacted and two more normal wisdom teeth, although they would have been angled uncomfortably towards the cheeks, so all came out. The surgery itself was an experience since they found out that the local they used at the time had almost not affect on me. I was put completely under, but it had interacted with the local. I was awake for the entire thing, just couldn't feel it. That is neither here nor there about playing. Mine bled and were sore for about 10 days. No problems playing again afterwards, and indeed, my jaw felt much better after the surgery, seeing as one of the teeth was really starting to push its neighbor. If you don't have the surgery, especially with deeply impacted teeth, you can have a lot of health issues going forward.

Thanks a lot for your input!

Today I've visited the maxillofacial surgeon, and he's suggested that I leave my wisdom teeth alone. The situation seems to be similar to that described by phred: three impacted teeth and one upper tooth that has already come out. So far, the upper teeth don't seem to pose any problem (only that the one that's already out is slowly descening, having nothing opposite that stops it, and will end up hurting the inner part of my cheek or my lower gum).

But the two lower wisdom teeth, those which, apart from being impacted, are horizontal, with the crowns almost touching the roots of the next teeth and their own roots dangerously close to the mandibular nerve (I think it's that one), seem not to be so easy. The surgeon has told me that he always warns patients that there is a possibility that this nerve may be damaged during the operation, but that in my case this possibility is almost a certainty. This would result in lack of feeling in the half of the lower lip affected (probably both sides in my case) and occasional sharp pain.

And, additionally, this would mean the end of my playing career.

I had made up my mind to undergo the operation to avoid future problems, but the surgeon has advised waiting until the pain I feel now and then (the reason why I considered this possibility in the first case) becomes more frequent, if it does, or the teeth become cysts, which could break the jaw if they grow too much. In those cases, numbness and occasional pain would be the lesser of two evils.

A bleak prospect, I think.

But, in the worst of cases, there's always the guitar.