A study of the effects of playing a wind instrument on the occlusion

Objectives: To investigate the effects of playing a wind instrument on the occlusion. Subjects and method: One hundred and seventy professional musicians were selected from twenty-one classical orchestras and organisations. The subjects were subdivided according to the type of instrument mouthpiece and included thirty-two large cup-shaped mouthpiece brass players (group A.L), forty-two small cup-shaped mouthpiece brass players (group A.S), thirty-seven single reed mouthpiece woodwind players (group B) and fifty-nine string and percussion instrument players (control group). Impressions were taken for each subject and various parameters were assessed from the study casts. Statistical analysis was undertaken for interval variables with one-way analysis of variance and for categorical variables with Chi-square tests. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in overjet, overbite, crowding, Little’s Irregularity Index and prevalence of incisor classification between the wind instrument players and the control group, p>0.05. However, group A.L had a significantly higher prevalence of buccal crossbites than all the other groups, p<0.05. Conclusions: Playing a wind instrument does not significantly influence the position of the anterior teeth and is not a major aetiological factor in the development of malocclusion. However, playing a brass instrument with a large cup-shaped mouthpiece may predispose to buccal crossbite development.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

m_ph

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

m_ph

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Birmingham

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Grammatopoulos, Ektor

• RK Dentistry
• M Music