How should one clean their mouth before playing?

[Tremozl]

Hey guys, I'm a new trombone player, maybe been at it around 2 years. I prefer to clean my mouth before playing, but not sure what the right technique is. For the past couple months I've been using non-alcholic mouthwash every time before playing, but I've also read that using mouthwash 3 or more times a day increases risk of oral cancer, so that's probably not the wisest thing to continue (unless the non-alcoholic does not have this increased risk.)

Anyhow if anyone could shed some light on the subject of what would be good to do, I'd really appreciate that before having to actually ask my Dentist for advice.

[jpwell]

I brush my teeth.

[lauriet]

Drink whisky while practicing. Should kill all the germs.

[timothy42b]

If you brush your teeth before playing, rinse your mouth thoroughly. (advice courtesy of Doug Yeo.)

[ArbanRubank]

For me, it is three-fold:
1) lots of water to rinse the oral cavity of any acids and phlegm from various foods
2) mechanically remove solids - however small - so they do not go into the horn
3) thoroughly clean all the slide components after EVERY use (mouthpiece gets washed before every use).

I have no idea if my ritual has any benefits as to horn longevity and playing condition, but it makes ME feel good!

[Bonearzt]

I'd say beyond your normal oral hygiene of brushing, a simple rinse & swish with plain water would suffice.

A bigger issue for me is keeping your mouthpiece clean, a regular cleaning with HOT soapy water and brushing the throat & backbore is my top priority that I tell my customers!


Eric

[AndrewMeronek]

I brush my teeth. I like to use A&H baking soda toothpaste; it seems to do a better job of dissolving plaque and not staying in my mouth for too long after brushing. IMHO worth the harsher taste.

[Tremozl]

Great, thanks all! I'll resort to toothbrushing and rinsing with water (since I eat and snack throughout the day and play multiple times), and clean my mouthpieces more often. I usually use sanitizing alcohol on the mouthpieces but that may be overkill.

For me, it is three-fold:
1) lots of water to rinse the oral cavity of any acids and phlegm from various foods
2) mechanically remove solids - however small - so they do not go into the horn
3) thoroughly clean all the slide components after EVERY use (mouthpiece gets washed before every use).

I have no idea if my ritual has any benefits as to horn longevity and playing condition, but it makes ME feel good!

Well if your horns are staying in perfect condition, then its probably best to keep doing whats working! I don't clean my slide after each use, but I always empty the water out before putting it away.

[timothy42b]

Just had a thought. It's possible to play without putting air into the horn at all, as those experiments with a membrane in the mouthpiece and an escape path prove. If we could perfect that type of mouthpiece, we would never need to let spit out nor clean the horn, slide treatment should last many times longer, and possibly the horn would never wear out.

[Gary]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Is rinsing one's mouth such a big thing?

[ArbanRubank]

Great, thanks all! I'll resort to toothbrushing and rinsing with water (since I eat and snack throughout the day and play multiple times), and clean my mouthpieces more often. I usually use sanitizing alcohol on the mouthpieces but that may be overkill.

I'm not a dentist, although I have been known to hang around the oral-care section of my local supermarket quite a lot. I bought a sonic toothbrush on the advice of my oral hygienist. They are not expensive and I have found they really do a much more thorough job of getting smaller particles out from between my teeth. There's nothing like that clean feeling after a visit to a dental hygienist and a sonic toothbrush seems to make that feeling last a lot longer for me.

YMMV, but I avoid using mouthwashes before playing. I don't like the tingling or numbing sensation at that time.

I don't think sanitizing a mouthpiece is overkill at all! I think it's a good practice!

Anyway, there is no right or wrong answer - just whatever makes you feel like you have prepared yourself for a play session. For some, that might mean eating a hot dog and then blowing chunks through their horn!

[Kbiggs]

Remember that brushing only removes some of the food debris and plaque from your mouth. Flossing removes a lot of the debris between the teeth and at the gumline between the teeth, where a lot of stuff accumulates. I keep some of these stored in my trombone case:

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... egUIARDiAQ

[imsevimse]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Is rinsing one's mouth such a big thing?

Just wash the mouthpiece now and then, and clean the slide. I do not brush my teeth everytime before I play. Yes, if I just had something to eat and my mouth is full of cookies

/Tom

[torobone]

To think I watch friends drink coffee or beer before playing. 40 years ago I did the same thing.
About 15-20 years ago I discovered water. A quick rinse seems good enough; this isn't brain surgery.

-or-, tongue firmly in cheek:
It is just like brain surgery. Install a surgical sink in your house. Scrub thoroughly before practicing. Go to a dental hygienist and have your teeth professionally cleaned before each practice session. Be sure to clean your entire horn every time you have at least 32 bars rest.

-and-
If your practice sucked, be sure to thoroughly clean your mouth afterwards!

[Doubler]

I floss and brush before playing. It keeps pizza and other indescribable things from growing inside the horn. As a result, I very rarely have to clean my horn, and there's the added bonus of keeping dental care costs to a minimum.

[Bonearzt]

Oh, for Pete's sake. Is rinsing one's mouth such a big thing?

EXACTLY!!!!!