Pre-Braces Two

This is the second time I have had braces. The first time was when I was aged 12 and I think they were taken off around my 18th birthday. My bite was misaligned, and I had a removable top brace, followed by fixed bottom, then fixed bottom and top, then a night brace and then finally a retainer that was adjusted to pull the teeth inwards. My teeth were great until I stopped wearing the retainer .... BIG mistake! I guess I am lucky in that the treatment will only last two years this time, rather than nearly 6, because my bite is now perfect, its just the top and bottom front teeth that have moved. Lucky me :/

I didn't 't play a brass instrument then, but I did play Clarinet (and all through this I was playing in a wind band and working towards my Grade 8). I remember the main pain being with the wires cutting in rather than the brackets themselves, but most of the time it didn't bother me too much. The main pain was with the bottom teeth. Read some interesting stuff about how, if you don't adjust your embouchure, you can develop callouses which will NEVER go away and will do permanent damage to your playing. Eek!! I did ask about invisalign but apparently it wont do the job that is needed - its a fixed brace or nothing.

I guess the only thing to do is wait and see......