Abstract
It might be more difficult for patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) to generate sufficient muscle tension of the upper lip and intraoral air pressure to play a wind instrument. We aimed to explore and describe the key aspects of wind instrument playing with a repaired cleft. An in-depth interview was conducted among ten patients with CL/P and one with a functionally comparable problem and we found that: individuals with CL/P can achieve a professional level on a wind instrument; the oboe and trumpet may be less suitable for patients with CL/P because of the high lip muscle tension and intraoral air pressure that must be generated; air leakage through a fistula, unrepaired alveolus or velopharyngeal insufficiency can be troublesome; and for people with CL/P, a brass instrument with a large mouthpiece is easier than a small mouthpiece. While dentists, doctors and music teachers should discuss the probability that wind instrument playing might be more difficult for patients with CL/P, they should not discourage it.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 223-231 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | British Dental Journal |
| Volume | 234 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 24 Feb 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Feb 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors. For this study, no funding was accepted, except for support from the listed institutions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the British Dental Association.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors. For this study, no funding was accepted, except for support from the listed institutions.
