Influence of changes in the oral cavity on the performance of recorder players: a pilot study

Wind instrument players may dread dental treatment because changes in the oral cavity can affect their performance. However, few studies have investigated the influence of such changes, particularly prosthesis-induced morphologic changes, on the performance of wind instrument players.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prosthesis-induced morphologic changes in the oral cavity on the performance of wind instrument players.

Seven women were asked to play a recorder with and without an experimental palatal appliance. Their performances were analyzed by psychoacoustic analysis, with loudness as a parameter, and by performable range analyses with Voice Range Profile software. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for the statistical analyses.

Differences between moderately loud and very soft sounds (P=.043) and between very loud and very soft sounds (P=.027), as well as the performable range of frequency and intensity (P=.028), all decreased significantly in the presence of the palatal prosthesis.

The results of this study suggest that changes in the oral cavity caused by the presence of a prosthesis affect the psychoacoustic features and the performable range of frequency and intensity during the playing of wind instruments.