Getting a couple teeth pulled...

[cb56]

...sometime in the next few weeks.
Not looking forward to this. Kinda throws a monkey wrench into my trombone "comeback" at age 67. Thought about selling my horn and giving up but I think instead I'll hold on to it and see how things go after I'm healed up.
Anyone else go through this? Words of encouragement?

[Mr412]

Been there. Done that. Maybe gonna do it again, too. Just hang in there and heal up, then resume playing like it was 1999. You're still plenty young enough. I'm 75 and had to lay off for two weeks following an apicoectomy on my #7. Within a month, I was back to where I was and have since gone forward. If I can do it...

[Doug Elliott]

I've got three gone, all molars that were cracked and eventually started to be problems. None of them affected my playing at all. A lot of the important mouthpiece contact is over gums, not teeth... so you may be fine.

[OneTon]

I had four wisdom teeth pulled on the same day by Art Taubman. He didn’t normally do that but he was a trombone player and had a 6H. I was playing three days later. I had to learn how to “blow” again but I adapted pretty quickly. I may be loosing another side tooth this year. My trumpet player friend has had braces and now lost a front tooth. He has a plate. He can still play solos in our jazz band. He probably won’t be putting any pressure on high note players. I wouldn’t give up.

[norbie2018]

I had a molar pulled and an implant placed. It has been 4 months and have 2 more to go until the crown can be placed. Absolutely no effect on playing.

[bassclef]

I had a molar pulled for the first time a couple months ago (all the way in the back, top right).

I have been considering starting the implant process. Primarily because my dentist said it was a possibility that my upper teeth could begin to shift over time due to that empty space and I'm worried that could end up affecting my playing.

Is that something which some of you who have more time with a empty socket(s) think is a concern?

[norbie2018]

I got the implant and will have a crown so I can use my whole mouth to chew and because I don't want my teeth to shift.

[Doug Elliott]

I haven't done implants, too expensive. In several years (decades?) my teeth haven't shifted at all.

[sf105]

I had a molar out and another one coming. I had to take a week or so off because the roots were close to the sinus and my dentist was concerned about the air pressure breaking through.

[sf105]

One more point. One of the reasons for my extractions are that I've been grinding for a long time. I finally got a shield made up to wear at night, but didn't really bother that much. Now I'm pretty thorough about wearing it every night.

[cb56]

Oral surgeon's office called at 6am to cancel my appt. Dr. has covid.
Looks like I'm waiting 3 more weeks

[timothy42b]

I had a molar pulled for the first time a couple months ago (all the way in the back, top right).

I have been considering starting the implant process. Primarily because my dentist said it was a possibility that my upper teeth could begin to shift over time due to that empty space and I'm worried that could end up affecting my playing.

Is that something which some of you who have more time with a empty socket(s) think is a concern?

I lost a tooth (somewhere in the middle left, not a molar or a front), had to have it pulled when overseas for a while. There was some fear the others might shift, but as far as I know that didn't happen.

When I got back to the US I had a bridge done - they crown the teeth on each side of the hole and attach a new tooth between them. I hoped it would help my playing but there was zero difference. I asked about implants and the dentist didn't think my jaw had sufficient bone to support it. I couldn't have afforded it anyway at the time.

[bassclef]

I had a molar pulled for the first time a couple months ago (all the way in the back, top right).

I have been considering starting the implant process. Primarily because my dentist said it was a possibility that my upper teeth could begin to shift over time due to that empty space and I'm worried that could end up affecting my playing.

Is that something which some of you who have more time with a empty socket(s) think is a concern?

I lost a tooth (somewhere in the middle left, not a molar or a front), had to have it pulled when overseas for a while. There was some fear the others might shift, but as far as I know that didn't happen.

When I got back to the US I had a bridge done - they crown the teeth on each side of the hole and attach a new tooth between them. I hoped it would help my playing but there was zero difference. I asked about implants and the dentist didn't think my jaw had sufficient bone to support it. I couldn't have afforded it anyway at the time.

Thanks for sharing.

My dentist said something similar after examining the socket once the tooth was out. He didn't think there was enough bone there to hold in the graft material he which could pack it with in preparation for implant installation in the future. Instead of bone grafting, I would most likely need bone reconstruction before the implant process could start. I've since learned that is something which would add 6-7 months and as many thousands of dollars in cost to the whole ordeal.

[EZSlider]

Had a root canal and crown on number 19(1 from the back bottom left) . Crown was set too high and cracked the root.. had to get it extracted... Got implant and crown. After 5 years it was determined that the implant failed.. Had that one removed and a bone graft done and now just got another implant placed this past Monday.. held off playing for a day or so.. not much issue. . Spose I could have quite the instrument collection if I had just taken the loss ten years ago LOL
EZ

[cb56]

Just an update. My 2 teeth got pulled last Monday. I feel like picking up my horn today and see where I'm at. Probably too soon huh?

[Doug Elliott]

I'd wait. Pay attention to how the sockets look, and don't do anything that involves much air pressure in the beginning. You don't want to blow air into the sockets before they're healed. Especially upper teeth which may have openings after the extraction that extend into sinuses.

If you want to exercise your chops, pretend to play.... form your embouchure and lightly blow air through without buzzing. That's a good exercise anytime.