Case of the Whistling Flutist

Into a Hollywood dentist's office marched a desperate flute player. His new false teeth were ruining his career as a musician. Dr. Elia C. Epstein reported the case in Dental Survey last week:

" 'Doctor,' said the flutist, 'the teeth of my present bridge are too long and they have nasty spaces . . . between them. I have no support for the mouthpiece . . . and the air flows right out between the necks of the teeth. Now, doctor, can you close up these spaces . . . and grind out some sort of shelf . . . to accommodate the neck of the flute?'

"I understood. My patient cared little about esthetics or mastication at that moment. All he wanted was to be able to play his flute. . . . I finally made him a lower denture with clasps. . . . The patient, elated by this success, decided to have the upper remade.

"For my first tryin, I asked my patient to bring his flute and play for me, with the new teeth in position. . . . Trouble was discovered almost at once. After playing for a few moments, my musical patient laid his instrument aside with an air of utter resignation. 'Doctor, that depression in the center of the palate is no good for me--the air becomes stranded in the hollow. I can't produce a normal legato!'

"I filled in the hollow. The results were gratifying, but not for long. After playing his instrument again, my patient was once again a picture of gloom. 'Doctor, my legato has improved . . . but now I lose my wind too quickly.' I partially closed up the arch in the bicuspid region. 'Fine,' said my patient after another experiment with his flute. [Then] the patient suddenly stopped and his face registered horror. 'Doctor, I'm losing my staccato!'

"Once again I rearranged the teeth in wax and made my patient play. I soon discovered that the tip of the tongue had too much room between the occlusion of the front upper and lower. . . . To correct this condition, I reset the front teeth several times. . . . For the final test he tried the famous William Tell duet full of staccatos and he passed with colors flying.' "

Next morning Dr. Epstein's phone rang. It was his secretary. " 'Mr. X [the flutist] has just broken a tooth in his new denture. And oh, doctor, he is whistling now.' 'Make my coffee a little stronger this morning,' I said to Mrs. Epstein."

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