Dental appliance for playing music: fabrication and acoustic analysis of performance

A male clarinettist in his 50s presented with upper lip pain caused by repeated contact with his maxillary incisors during performance. Clinical examination revealed a whitish lesion on the upper labial mucosa, with otherwise healthy dentition aside from sharp-edged maxillary anterior teeth. Music splints consisting of acrylic lip shields of two thicknesses were fabricated and tested. Psychoacoustic analysis and patient self-assessment guided selection of the optimal splint, which demonstrated superior dynamic control and playing comfort. The mucosal lesion resolved within 3 weeks and the patient continued using the splint for practice and performance, with long-term follow-up showing sustained use for 16 years. This case highlights the importance of individualised design in music splints, demonstrating that careful material and thickness selection can prevent soft-tissue trauma, support embouchure stability and maintain musical performance over the long term.