When you decide to pick up a musical instrument, you may be expecting certain physical challenges -- how are you going to lift that tuba? -- but you may not think about what playing an instrument could do to your teeth.  Whether you play a wind or string instrument, you could be impacting your oral health.

In fact, "countless hours practicing to perfect technique and playing ability place musicians at higher risk for repetitive strain injuries and orofacial problems," according to a 2019 article that was co-written by Apple Tree's own Stefanie Tessling (formerly Voltz), an Advanced Dental Therapist.  Although the study that was conducted surveyed a relatively small group of 124 musicians, a significant portion (52) of the responders reported having a jaw clicking/popping problem.  Other responders reported issues such as dry mouth, pain while playing, and even chipped teeth.

To learn more about the study, check out the article Stefanie collaborated on by clicking here.