Apart from a good breathing system, teeth are next most important item for a voice user. Three years ago an impacted (buried) wisdom tooth started to move down in my upper left jaw - can you believe it's been dormant all those years ..? It started to loosen the two molars beneath it and my dentist declared that they would just fall out naturally - I believed him .......Mmm mmmm... His prediction did not come about, and eating has been quite difficult for some time. Although there has been no pain, two wobbly teeth are not very comfortable, and useless in the matter of chewing food, especially when they are out of line with the molars in the lower jaw - so I've been chewing sideways for some time - not a pretty sight ....! Recently I went for a general health check up with my excellent G.P., Dr. East, and she pronounced me in the best of health - for my age ...hmmm, wonder what the hidden agenda is in that remark...? Anyway, when she asked if I have any discomforts and I mentioned the terrible teeth. She examined the my top left jaw and asked if I knew there is a small growth in the hard palate, alongside the displaced teeth. I had to confess that it had been there for some time and I hadn't taken much notice of it as it didn't hurt. Dr. East immediately called the dental hospital in Watford, about eight miles away, and I was given an appointment two days later ..! When my mouth was examined by the specailist surgeon, he declared that he had never seen anything like it before, and wondered what was going on ...nice one ... he then called in his senior consultant who had also not seen such a conditon - and he then brought in the Head of Department who was likewise puzzled ... strange.... A date for surgery was set, and I duly turned up in fear and trepidation - who doesn't when just going for a dental check-up with regular dentist..?? I won't go into the details of ensuing operation, suffice it to say that all is much better now. It transpires that the infection which had caused the growth had probably been poisoning my system for some time - now I can fully open my jaws - watch out ..!! ( That is not an action I recommend to my singers.) The only thing that bothers me at the moment is that the operation has affected the resonances in the mask of my face, and my voice sounds a little "husky" in the middle register - hopefully that will come back to normal once the healing process is complete - keeping my fingers crossed for that..... Many voice users think I'm jesting when I advise them to insure their teeth - dentistry is VERY expensive. When the Welsh National Opera started giving performances I went to a performance of "Il Trovatore". At that time most of their soloists were mature, and the Azucena was a very distinguished senior mezzo-soprano. In "Strida la vampa" her magnificent voice filled the theatre and she put really passionate energy into the text - literally "biting"the words. At the end of the first phrase she spat out the word so violently that her top plate of false teeth shot out on to the stage with a resounding clatter !! . Non-plussed, she carried on mumbling the text with a flabby top lip until she reteieved her teeth, triumphantly replaced them, and received an ovation at the end of the aria - now, how's that for stage presence....fantastic..! and courage...?!! Her breathing was perfect....
K..p b.......g.....
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