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Voice major about to have jaw surgery!Date: April 25, 2012 by Peter Cook  Views: 3568
Dear All, I am the father of a 22 year old voice major that has just graduated from university who has just been scheduled for jaw surgery in June. He is having his jaw broken and moved back and the upper part is being moved forward (as well as widening the upper and narrowing the lower). Anyhow, this seems like a fairly drastic change to the whole shape of the mouth. In particularly, it seems that the soft palet will be stretched (maybe tightened) a bit due to all this. My quesiton is, is there anyone out there that has been through this? Does anyone have a feeling for whether this will drastically effect his voice. My concern as a father is that he has high hopes of applying for graduate schools in the fall and eventually making a living with his voice. I don't get the sense from the doctor that this will cause huge problems but... some reassurance from anyone out there that has already been through this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Marie Grass Amenta on April 25, 2012 5:41pm
Dear Peter,
I had my husband the ENT doc read your post over my shoulder. The first thing out of his mouth--well, the second thing, you don't want to know the FIRST thing--was "how can this NOT change the resonance of his voice?" It is his physician's responsibility to explain to your son what the those changes could be. Hubby seems to think if your son has a good vocal technique, that should carry him through until things settle down. But don't expect things to come back as quickly as you would like. Healing and recooperation will take as long as they take. If your son needs the surgery, he needs the surgery and needs to be at peace with it.
Marie
on April 25, 2012 7:45pm
Peter: "Normal" doctors simply do not understand the details of how a singer uses the vocal mechanism and the kinds of fine contral that are needed. "Normal" doctors advise surgery for vocal nodes (a mistake in the first place in most cases because it treats the symptoms rather than the cause) and blithely assure patients that they'll be "back to normal" in a short time--meaning they'll be able to SPEAK, not necessarily to SING!
PLEASE insist on a second opinion, and try to find a doctor who actually understands the singing voice.
I had a student who underwent the much easier and less traumatic procedure of having minor throat surgery after she graduated, and it resulted in her putting off grad school for one or two years. Your son should plan on the same, and if it actually isn't necessary that'll be the GOOD news.
All the best,
John
on April 26, 2012 5:03am
I had that choice many years ago with the alternative being
full metal braces for three years. I chose the braces and although
the result was slower to come by, I was able to continue to sing
and carry out all of my responsibilities without any interruption.
My dental facial issues were the same as your son's- and I was told
at the time that they were a gift from my grandma, who had exactly
the same shaped face as I. Is it too late for a second opinion?
Also, is there an orthodontist or other dental specialist actively
involved in the process ?
on April 26, 2012 6:01am
I would suggest finding a doctor that is accustomed to working with singers and get a second opinion.
on April 27, 2012 7:13am
You didn't say why he needed to have surgery in the first place. If he had been injured in the jaw, that's one thing, but if he's a successful and competent singer it's unclear to me why he would need such major work unless there's some kind of real, chronic condition or a major trauma. Wouldn't either of those conditions interfere with singing?
on April 27, 2012 1:40pm
Thank you all for all your responses and please don't stop. Many have suggested we find a doctor that is accustomed to working with singers... I was wondering if there were any easy way to do this? Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to go to find these doctors? I've actually received a referral from the director of the Seattle Opera but that was for a doctor in Chicago and we're just outside of Seattle (regardless I have called the Chicago people and asked them for any referrals they may have for the Seattle area). Thanks!
Just since people have asked... my son has an under bite that precludes the ability to chew easily (i.e. corn on the cob is not possible). He has had braces for a few years now but we are told that they have done as much as they can do. I think he looks very handsome (if I do say so myself) so this isn't really a cosmetic thing. That said, simply NOT doing the surgery is certainly an option (corn on the cob isn't his favorite anyway) but, if he could have a more functional bite AND keep his wonderful voice... well, that would be what everyone would want. I just want to make sure that we don't screw up one for the other... or at least, what the risk is.
Again, thank you for all your responses! ANd if you have any suggestions for tracking down oral surgeons with experience working with singers, I would certainly appreciate it greatly! Thanks!
on April 28, 2012 10:21am
Dear Peter,
Want to let you know of another dental option you may not have heard of. It is called bioesthetic dentistry and is a much less drastic and traumatic way to correct bite and jaw alignment. Please do your son a big favor and research this before going through surgery. It just might be what he needs. I am a professional singer, who h ad had many dental problems and poor orthodonture (apparently) as a child, resulting in my lower jaw tending to jut forward when singing, as well as causing stress and decay in certain areas of my mouth. When my holistic dentist became ertified in this work, he did a complete analysis of my facial structures and created an appliance called a MAGO which I wear every night, and which had to be adjusted regularly for the first few months. My bite and jaw are much better, and I think the change has actually improved my singing,
I googled biosthetic dentist Seattle and came up with this: http://wellnesscentereddentistry.com/AboutDrHsu/tabid/8135/Default.html.
AS far as someone to evaluate how surgery might affect your son's singing, you would need to find an ENT who specializes in use of the voice and a voice therapist. Many medical centers attached medical schools have a Voice center staffed by such people. I would not expect an oral surgeon to have this knowledge or training unless they also had a specific interest in the voice and its use. Personally, I would think long and hard as a singer starting a career about having any procedure that might drastically change my instrument. I sincerely hope you will research this other option. Good luck.
Nora
on April 29, 2012 8:49am
Peter, I am a professional singer, musician, and conductor. I
am currently recovering from jaw surgery of a similar variety of
what your son is facing. (no pun intended). I had maxiofacial
surgery on Jan 12. Due to a variety of factors including having
been run over by a tractor when i was 10- I had chronic migraines,
sinus headaches, difficulty in biting/eating, sleep apnea, TMJ...
But the worst side effect was my snoring. I lived with all these
issues for many years. (I am 55). After a back injury i started
going to a craniologist (like a chiropractor) who evaluated my
upper pallatte as being severely narrow and suggested i begin an
orthodontic and surgical journey which would correct all these
issues. After many xrays, braces with pallate expanders (no fun for
pronunciation) we learned that my lower jaw was restricting airflow
by reducing the opening of my windpipe - so this surgery was almost
essential for my continued health. In surgery they brought both my
upper and lower jaw forward (they dont break it- they shave the jaw
bone and slide the jaws into position and hold them with screws).
They also removed a polyp from my sinus cavity and surgically
expanded my upper and lower palates.
As a result my migraines are gone, the snoring has stopped, the sleep apnea is minimal, and i am not having to use the CPAP machine any longer. I am able to sleep through the night and feel more rested and energetic than ever before. So, to the changes to my "instrument" which was your original concern for your son. I can not and would not presume to know what his surgery will bring forth, but I can tell you the change in resonance in my voice is drastic and amazing to say the least. However, it is an adjustment in many regards. i am fortunate to have been working with a vocal instructor who is helping me develop and expand. It has been a challenge since my jaws are still very stiff, and my lips/face are numb and tight. Overall this has been a very very good thing for me and my voice, air, health, et al. Having said all that- i will echo another post in this thread that suggested waiting until after gradualtion if too many uncertainties are troubling you. Back when i was about to enter conservatory with a full scholarship in lower brass- i had a procedure that capped a front tooth. As a result, i could not even get a sound out of my horn. I will spare you the details of what this changed for me, but suffice it to say I was unable to continue the particular path I had chosen. I am hoping to pick up the horn and play once again (after these braces are off next year!) but I won't be playing horn in any pro groups, that is for certain! It is ultimately your choice, since this surgery will indeed change the shape of his instrument, and for the better, in my experience. But i would say "good luck" with finding a surgeon who truly is an expert (possibly soothsayer) regarding what the end result will be vocally. I am sure they do exist, but even though my surgeon could be considered as one of the very best (by many professional opinions) no one can truly predict how surgery will change things. I simply made my decision/risk based on health issues even in the light of what had happened earlier in my life. This time, however it seems the results are nothing short of amazing! I wish you the best. If you have any further concerns or questions for someone who has actually had the surgery please do not hesitate to contact me. I have found that there are a lot of "experts" whose first statement seems to always be "while i have no experience in this myself personally..." I would say they mean well, but do not really know first hand. I would be happy to refer you to my vocal instructor in Oakland, who also had surgery in the vicinity of the throat. He certainly is helping me not only get back to singing but also expand this new instrument in ways i never dreamed possible. All the best to you and your son.
on April 29, 2012 5:22pm
I cannot address the issue of the surgery you are describing, but I do want to address and echo the sentiment that has been expressed about his anticipated recovery and the doctor's knowledge of the vocal "instrument". In December, I had neck surgery done. I was told that I would experience some hoarseness but that it would go away. Let me interject here that I am a high school choral director. I visited with my doctor about this hoarseness since that could have a detrimental effect on my career. I am happy to say that after the surgery, I really did not have any hoarseness and my voice was clear and I can sing. HOWEVER, what he didn't tell me because he didn't know, not being "vocally" minded was that as a result of now having the plate in my neck my voice becomes tired very easily and some of my notes are sometimes just gone. I sometimes have "holes" in my register. I am a soprano who has lost (hopefully only temporarily) much of my very top register. As I continue to heal, it is improving, but it is slow. When I see my doctor on post-opt visits, he really doesn't have any answers or suggestions for me except to be patient.
I share this with you to say to you and your son that his plans for graduate school, as another poster mentioned, may end up being postponed after his surgery and he needs to be prepared for this. Just something to think about in the decision process.
Best of luck to your son, whatever he decides.
Debbie
on April 30, 2012 9:01am
I would definitely check out a doctor who specializes in singers. While in my senior year at university, I developed TMJ. I went to the university's dental school that specialized in TMJ, saw an oral surgeon and a dentist, and not one of them caught the misalignment in my jaw. I did have a mouth guard made, which helped, but did not correct the misalignment. I had had braces in my early teens and had four teeth removed, which may or may not have affected my jaw alignment (the jury is still out). As a result, I could barely sing (I was a voice major) and had to give up singing, which was to say, my life's goal at that time, and I was devastated. I turned my back on music for many years out of anger/frustration, and only just returned to it in the last 7 years when the position of Music Director opened up at our church. My jaw continues to pop and lock and cause issues, but at the urging of my current dentist, I was referred to my son's orthodontist for evaluation. When he showed me the xrays of the now arthritic and degenerated TM joint, I just cried. He said I could have surgery to re-align it, but at this late stage, it may do more harm than good. Why this was never caught years ago is beyond me. All I can say is to get as many opinions as possible, and do your research as much as possible. While I thank God I have re-discovered my joy and ability to continue in music, albeit in a more limited manner, I wish with all my heart I had done more years ago.
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