Dear Vocalisters:
Students who have studied with me and have TMJ problems have, invariably, found their greatest relief by seeing a good dentist. Most of the causes of TMJ stem from poor or incorrect occlusion of the teeth which is not caused by a particular method of singing nor of keeping the jaw relaxed. When the manner in which the teeth meet (occlusion) is corrected most forms of TMJ are corrected or minimized. The corrective procedures that I have observed with my students have ranged from the minor correction of occlusion by having the surfaces of some teeth corrected by the dentist, to the wearing of an appliance at night, to a complete restructuring of tooth alignment.
It is the method of opening the jaw that exacerbates the difficulties found in TMJ. Many singers attempt to move the lower jaw forward as they begin to open the jaw. This puts excessive pressure on the TM Joint and creates difficulties. The jaw should descend when opening in the same manner it does when one chews or yawns. Any form of jaw opening that varies from this natural opening has the potential to become a source of tension and is not conducive to improvement of vocal tone.
Wearing appliances at night or having the teeth straightened should have no effect on the singing tone but only on the ability to pronounce many consonants, and in some cases, some vowels. The changes in resonance space within the vocal tract is not a concern because of the extreme ability of the vocal tract to be adjusted by the use of the tongue. It is possible to develop some tongue habits during the time of having the teeth straightened but these can usually be rather quickly corrected during the study of voice with a good teacher who know of the possible difficulties.
-- Lloyd W. Hanson
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