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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