Q: I had jaw surgery six weeks ago and my jaw muscles feel terribly weak. It's hard to enunciate. I have this brand new speech impediment. It makes singing incredibly frustrating and discouraging. Have you been able to resume singing yet? Are you happy with your voice? Any changes?
A: I know what you mean about the speech impediment. For the first while, it hurt to touch my teeth together, so I started avoiding it; after awhile, it became a habit, so my enunciation wasn't so hot. Everyone seemed to think I was saying something naughty when I wasn't!
It was something I had to work on. It is weird to have your teeth in a different place after decades of them being in another position. It takes time to adjust. Now, I would say that my enunciation is better than it was before!
I auditioned for a musical revue at the end of August (six and a half months post-surgery) and have been rehearsing this month. I'm amazed at how much easier it is to sing now. Instead of having to thrust my jaw forward and do all kinds of jawnastics to enunciate properly as well as create enough space in my mouth for my voice, I am now able to just open my mouth and let my voice come out.
Is this really how normal people sing? Is it that easy?
I also really like the placement of my voice now. Before, I would struggle to ensue my voice was placed at the front of my mouth; now, it's just there. And I don't get headaches after singing, because it doesn't put a strain on my jaw to do it.
It feels really, really good. I can't wait to start really singing again and see what else is in store.
*To ask Bella a question about her jaw surgery, email her at smilingbella at gmail dot com or leave a comment on this post. Go ahead: ask away!!
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ask Bella: The real basics
Cecilieaux asks: Okay, what I have never understood is...why? (Or maybe I missed it.)
A: You missed it only if you've read all my archives, because I've been dealing with jaw problems for more than two years now. So you don't have to go digging for it, here's the story of why I subjected my face to the bone saw.
I had an overbite, which isn't a big deal for most people, but in a few, it can cause jaw joint problems. I was fine the majority of my life, until I started doing a lot of stage work, singing, acting and using my jaw a lot more than I was used to. Then, I developed crippling migraines and jaw pain while I was a poppy/jitterbug/citizen of the Emerald City in an extended run of the Wizard of Oz musical. Because of the overbite, I was thrusting my lower jaw forward in order to sing and enunciate properly, and that was putting strain on my jaw joint.
I saw an orthodontist, jaw physiotherapist, and orthognathic surgeon and all suggested that this surgery could help my TMJ problems get better. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed, but the stats I was told were that 70 per cent of people get better, 20 per cent stay the same, and 10 per cent get worse.
Singing is such a huge part of my life and my expression of who I am that I couldn't imagine not being able to do it because I was in too much pain. The TMJ pain was also interfering with my social life - I found myself not spending as much time with my friends because I had too much fun. After a night out of talking, laughing and smiling, I had migraines that kept me at home and alone for four days straight.
I had a strong feeling that for me, the surgery would work. I'm still recovering and haven't tried going back to the stage yet, so we'll see what happens in the next few months.
A: You missed it only if you've read all my archives, because I've been dealing with jaw problems for more than two years now. So you don't have to go digging for it, here's the story of why I subjected my face to the bone saw.
I had an overbite, which isn't a big deal for most people, but in a few, it can cause jaw joint problems. I was fine the majority of my life, until I started doing a lot of stage work, singing, acting and using my jaw a lot more than I was used to. Then, I developed crippling migraines and jaw pain while I was a poppy/jitterbug/citizen of the Emerald City in an extended run of the Wizard of Oz musical. Because of the overbite, I was thrusting my lower jaw forward in order to sing and enunciate properly, and that was putting strain on my jaw joint.
I saw an orthodontist, jaw physiotherapist, and orthognathic surgeon and all suggested that this surgery could help my TMJ problems get better. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed, but the stats I was told were that 70 per cent of people get better, 20 per cent stay the same, and 10 per cent get worse.
Singing is such a huge part of my life and my expression of who I am that I couldn't imagine not being able to do it because I was in too much pain. The TMJ pain was also interfering with my social life - I found myself not spending as much time with my friends because I had too much fun. After a night out of talking, laughing and smiling, I had migraines that kept me at home and alone for four days straight.
I had a strong feeling that for me, the surgery would work. I'm still recovering and haven't tried going back to the stage yet, so we'll see what happens in the next few months.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Is that my jaw you're trying to pull out of my mouth?
I met with the orthodontist again, three and a half years after my first appointment, and told him about the problems I had been having with my jaw. He took some impressions of my teeth, some pictures, and then referred me to a physiotherapist.
"Let's see if they can do something for you first," he said.
I didn't know there was such a thing as jaw physiotherapists before. The idea intrigued me. What exactly were they going to do? Did they just massage your jaw muscles? Give you exercises to do? Or maybe there were even little mini jaw weights to lift? I had no clue. But it was worth a shot.
I discovered that the procedure consists of someone pushing on the parts of your jaw that hurt, and you trying not to scream "physiotherapy is the devil!!" It also involves the therapist putting rubber-gloved hands inside your mouth and attempting to pull your jaw out of your head. The best part is that when the hands come out, they leave trails of your own saliva all over your face. This just makes all the pain seem worthwhile.
Apparently, the musical theatre experience created a huge amount of tension in my jaw and made my TMJ problems worse. As the physiotherapist held my face, she kept telling me to stop clenching my jaw.
"But it's not clenched," I said.
Her response: "Oh dear."
Fortunately, I discovered that the first session was the worst of it. My muscles were the tensest they've ever been before I went to physiotherapy. Over the past two years, it's been easier and easier to go, and the relief I get from these sessions is amazing.
But it became clear to me that the physiotherapy wouldn't be enough. There was something wrong with my jaw, and if it meant that singing would make my life hell, then I definitely had to do something to fix this problem. Because a life without singing would out right suck. Far worse than getting your jaw broken and wired shut.
"Let's see if they can do something for you first," he said.
I didn't know there was such a thing as jaw physiotherapists before. The idea intrigued me. What exactly were they going to do? Did they just massage your jaw muscles? Give you exercises to do? Or maybe there were even little mini jaw weights to lift? I had no clue. But it was worth a shot.
I discovered that the procedure consists of someone pushing on the parts of your jaw that hurt, and you trying not to scream "physiotherapy is the devil!!" It also involves the therapist putting rubber-gloved hands inside your mouth and attempting to pull your jaw out of your head. The best part is that when the hands come out, they leave trails of your own saliva all over your face. This just makes all the pain seem worthwhile.
Apparently, the musical theatre experience created a huge amount of tension in my jaw and made my TMJ problems worse. As the physiotherapist held my face, she kept telling me to stop clenching my jaw.
"But it's not clenched," I said.
Her response: "Oh dear."
Fortunately, I discovered that the first session was the worst of it. My muscles were the tensest they've ever been before I went to physiotherapy. Over the past two years, it's been easier and easier to go, and the relief I get from these sessions is amazing.
But it became clear to me that the physiotherapy wouldn't be enough. There was something wrong with my jaw, and if it meant that singing would make my life hell, then I definitely had to do something to fix this problem. Because a life without singing would out right suck. Far worse than getting your jaw broken and wired shut.
Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start
It seems fitting to title this post with a line from a musical (name that musical!), seeing that it was a musical that helped me realize that I needed jaw surgery in the first place.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. This whole thing started way before I was ever in a musical. Rewind to the winter of 2003. I had a job with great benefits, so I decided to look into something that I had wanted to do for a long time: get braces.
When I was growing up, I always liked braces. I thought kids who had them were lucky and also looked super cute. I was incredibly jealous when my brother got his. True, his teeth were all gibbled and he needed them way more than I did, but I was a kid and didn't see it that way. He got all the brakes. (That, and I still have a scar on my lower back where he bit me with his braces on. I totally deserved it, but still - ouch!) I didn't like my overbite or my crooked bottom teeth.
So, once I had the resources, I decided to look into getting braces at the age of 27, just as I had taken matters into my own hands by signing up for voice lessons for the first time at age 25. The best part about being a grown up is that you can make these kinds of decisions for yourself.
I made an appointment with an orthodontist to see what it involved. I expected it to be a few thousand dollars, half of which would be covered by my insurance, and maybe a year or two of braces. I did not get the answer I had been hoping for.
Instead, he told me that I had a Class II malocclusion (overbite) that couldn't be treated with braces alone. I would need surgery to move my lower jaw forward, in addition to braces, and the cost would be more like $7,500.
I resisted the urge to tell the dude he was on crack, and politely ran screaming in the other direction. I'd take my crooked teeth and overbite, thank you very much.
So, I shelved that thought and went on with my life. Three years later, I was cast in the chorus of the Wizard of Oz, my first musical as a grown up (hooray for the voice lessons!) However, this was a show with three-hour-long rehearsals, four times a week. Once the show opened, we performed five days straight, a day off, and then four more performances in a row. About this time, I started having horrible migraines and tension in my jaw.
Something the orthodontist had said three years ago came back to me. He had mentioned that some people with the same bite problem as mine end up having TMJ and migraine problems when they're older. I wasn't having any problems at the time, so I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. But now...
When I called his office, his staff had to go into the archives to find my file. "You must have come here right when he opened the office," the receptionist said.
"I'm a bit of a procrastinator," I said. "I'd like to make my second appointment, please."
But I'm getting ahead of myself. This whole thing started way before I was ever in a musical. Rewind to the winter of 2003. I had a job with great benefits, so I decided to look into something that I had wanted to do for a long time: get braces.
When I was growing up, I always liked braces. I thought kids who had them were lucky and also looked super cute. I was incredibly jealous when my brother got his. True, his teeth were all gibbled and he needed them way more than I did, but I was a kid and didn't see it that way. He got all the brakes. (That, and I still have a scar on my lower back where he bit me with his braces on. I totally deserved it, but still - ouch!) I didn't like my overbite or my crooked bottom teeth.
So, once I had the resources, I decided to look into getting braces at the age of 27, just as I had taken matters into my own hands by signing up for voice lessons for the first time at age 25. The best part about being a grown up is that you can make these kinds of decisions for yourself.
I made an appointment with an orthodontist to see what it involved. I expected it to be a few thousand dollars, half of which would be covered by my insurance, and maybe a year or two of braces. I did not get the answer I had been hoping for.
Instead, he told me that I had a Class II malocclusion (overbite) that couldn't be treated with braces alone. I would need surgery to move my lower jaw forward, in addition to braces, and the cost would be more like $7,500.
I resisted the urge to tell the dude he was on crack, and politely ran screaming in the other direction. I'd take my crooked teeth and overbite, thank you very much.
So, I shelved that thought and went on with my life. Three years later, I was cast in the chorus of the Wizard of Oz, my first musical as a grown up (hooray for the voice lessons!) However, this was a show with three-hour-long rehearsals, four times a week. Once the show opened, we performed five days straight, a day off, and then four more performances in a row. About this time, I started having horrible migraines and tension in my jaw.
Something the orthodontist had said three years ago came back to me. He had mentioned that some people with the same bite problem as mine end up having TMJ and migraine problems when they're older. I wasn't having any problems at the time, so I didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. But now...
When I called his office, his staff had to go into the archives to find my file. "You must have come here right when he opened the office," the receptionist said.
"I'm a bit of a procrastinator," I said. "I'd like to make my second appointment, please."
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