Lip protector – orthodontic retainer

[Anonymous]

When playing the saxophone for more than an hour, I would always suffer some discomfort to the inside of my lip.

This lip guard is made from thin plastic which was vacuum-drawn over a cast model of my lower teeth. It clips firmly in place and provides a smoother surface for my lip to rest on which prevents the inside of my lip from being pressed between my teeth. The downwards pressure from the MP is distributed across all the teeth. My tongue is above the lower edge of the guard whilst I am playing and is not hindered at all. The result is improved comfort and a clearer tone. The increase in quality of tone is like the difference between the brightness of a Selmer S80 MP over the std Yamaha 4C MP. It cost about the price of six reeds to manufacture by my Dentist and dental laboratory, and was finished in three days. Wearing this guard whilst playing means I can play for many hours at a time without any lip discomfort. I feel this a wonderful solution for anyone with uneven or sharp teeth.

[Anonymous]

I played tunes continuously yesterday for three hours, playing through 180 hymns and some other tunes. After I was finished my lip felt no discomfort at all and today it feels like I hadn’t practiced at all. I wish I had acquired this lip-guard years ago then I could have spent much longer practicing.

Now does anyone know of anything which can improve ones focus and concentration?

[john]

it’s natural to get sores on the bottom lip after long playing sessions but these will disappear after a while.
it’s the equivalent of a guitarist getting calusses on the fingers.
the lip will slowly toughen up and they will disappear…I guess the lip guard will allow you to avoid this initial pain so
very useful….as long as the guard doesn’t feel weird as I would assume it would for me, but don’t know cause never tried one.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Johnny. My lip has definitely become tougher, but after three years of playing it was still taking major strain.
My wife told me that my tone sounds less muffled, so I’m really happy with the improved tone and level of comfort.
Now I can play everyday, instead of skipping days after a long practice. 🙂

[Author]

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