2428 Bay-Gale Lip Ease Teeth Cushion

11/28/18 - Charles Bay 2428 Bay-Gale Lip Ease Teeth Cushion I'm returning to the clarinet after being away from it for several decades. I used to play nearly every day, during any free time I had. For me to practice for 6 - 8 hours, was pretty routine, but after the 8 hrs, my lip would get sore. I played so much, I had a thin vertical ridge permanently embedded in my lower lip from the division between my front bottom teeth. But I loved music and loved making it. Now, after being away from it for so long, my bottom lip gets "fried" after playing for an hour. It's been very frustrating because after an hour, I feel like I'm just getting warmed up! If I push much harder, I'm unable to play the next day or at least my next practice session is cut short. To me, practicing less than an hour is hardly worth my time (except when I had to re-break-in my clarinet). I saw a utube vid where one clarinetist recommended the use of a folded tissue to cover the edge of the bottom teeth to extend a players "lip time." I tried it, using a piece of paper towel, folded to give two and three layers to cover my teeth. It was a help, but not substantially. While looking for clarinet sheet music, I ran across this, Charles Bay's Gale Lip Ease Teeth Cushion. I read the reviews. I saw where one reviewer used the wrapper instead of the cushion, but the majority were very positive. I have to be honest; regardless of the reviews, I had a healthy dose of skepticism. The Internet has been an amazing blessing, providing access to a lot of music and musicians' accessories that were not readily accessible decades ago. There's plenty of good music that can accessed moments after purchase (some for downloading & printing or even viewable via Kindle--the device and app) and lots of free music from the Clarinet Institute. The Internet has also been a source of disappointment & dissatisfaction, including terrible copies of music that aren't legible (for example 32nd & 64th notes where their horizontal bars are indistinguishable), misinformation about the music or info that is less than accurate and music that was written or arranged in a less than professional manner. So, I remain skeptical about most things "clarinet" until I've had a chance to try them, myself. My assessment of the Bay-Gale Lip Ease Teeth Cushion is a thumbs up. The first time I used a cushion, I had forgotten about it until I was 20 minutes into my practice session. The directions said to cut a piece off and fold the two edges inwards so that they meet in the center and then place the center (where the two edges meet) over your bottom teeth and press it against your teeth. Okay, that's essentially what the directions said. First, what I didn't realize until opened the package was that the "cushion" comes in a flattened roll, i.e., one long continuous, 2-inch wide piece of plastic with a very thin piece of paper separating the layers of cushion material. (I had expected individually cut pieces, but I'm glad it wasn't. With the roll, you can cut-off the precise length you need, so there's no waste.) It's thin, slightly rubbery feeling, but not overly so, clear plastic. I believe the rubbery feeling is caused by a wax coating that will adhere to itself. (It didn't stick while I folded it to prepare it for use, and it unfolded immediately after I removed it from my teeth after practicing. However, roughly 30 minutes later, when I wanted to look at it again, it had adhered to itself and could not be unfold without destroying it. I imagine that after a long practice session, the folded edges would adhere to itself.) It doesn't stick to your teeth, and doesn't leave a residue. I was unsure how much to cut off because I didn't know which way I was supposed to fold it, width-wise or length-wise. I decided to cut a short piece, roughly 3/8 in. (1 cm), just long enough to cover my two front lower teeth. Width-wise, it's 2 in. (5 cm), so the dimensions of the piece was 3/8" x 2" (1 cm x 5 cm). I folded it in half to make a crease at the 1 in. (2.5 cm) mark, opened it up and then folded the edges to meet at the center crease and then re-folded it at the crease. I placed the crease over my bottom teeth and pressed the the cushion against the front and back of my teeth. It was a lot more comfortable than the piece of paper towel I had used previously. For one thing, it was much thinner. Secondly, it didn't absorb moisture and get soggy. I read where one reviewer had problems with the cushion interfering with his tongue. I didn't have that problem, at all. The reviewer played trumpet, so his embouchure was quite a bit different than a clarinetist's. For a clarinet player, the tongue is slightly raised and pulled back, away from the bottom teeth and positioned close to the reed on the mouthpiece. Personally, I completely forgot about the cushion once I started playing. I played for about an hour (total time, including the first 20 minutes that I had forgotten to use the cushion) and I didn't feel any discomfort, at all. I played for another hour and just started to feel a little tenderness in my bottom lip. I could have continued for at least another 30, maybe 60 minutes, but it was already after midnight. (I usually stop at midnight during weekdays.) For me, the Lip Ease Teeth Cushion is a genuine treasure. No, it's not a cure all, but it has changed my "warm-ups" into a more substantial practice session. Overall, I think that the success of the cushion depends on the user's teeth. My bottom teeth are straight across, but protrude a little. As a result, the top edge of my bottom teeth applies a greater amount of pressure against my lip, causing more lip pain than if my bottom teeth were vertically straight. The cushion shields my lip from that added pressure, and the sharp edge of my teeth. If your bottom teeth are straight, horizontally and vertically, the cushion should be a greater help than it is for me. If your bottom teeth protrude more than a little, or are crooked, you may have a bit more of a challenge, but don't give up. In that case, if the cushion doesn't seem to help, I suggest trying two pieces to create a four-layer cushion between your bottom teeth and lip. I think I'll try the same thing so I can practice for a much longer period. Or maybe I can modify the folds to get three layers on the front side of my bottom teeth. This will leave only one layer on the back side. However, it's only purpose seems to be to help anchor the cushion in place. I think one layer would be adequate for that. Now that I have my lip problem taken care of, I need to deal with my sore thumb! Thank you for taking the time to read my review. If you found any of the information I provided, beneficial, please let me know by clicking on the "Helpful" button, below. I've benefited greatly, by reading others' reviews, but rarely contributed, myself. I decided to change that. I try to write reviews that are sincere and insightful, based on my actual use of a product--something that would genuinely help consumers like myself, decide if something is worth their time and money. So, if you found my review useful, please let me know that it was Helpful. Thank you.

This Teeth Cushion works. I've been a clarinetist for fifty-four years, and I am not a "biter." I have a good normal embouchure. However, I don't have perfect teeth. My lower incisors are a little crooked, with mamelons, and a little sharper than normal. I have occasionally considered having them removed through tooth shaving/smoothing by a dentist. Through the years I have typically had a ridge inside my lower lip, except after a one or two week break from playing. It reminded me of scar tissue, and I tried my best to adjust in some way to avoid increasing that, as well as often-annoying bit of pain that complicates playing. FINALLY, about 15 years ago I had enough. Do NOT immediately accept the criticism that you are improperly biting when you play. That is NOT necessarily the cause. Lip-Ease Teeth Cushion solved the problem. No more lower inner-lip pain from my incisors. I only have just a little advice: Be patient with the initial tediousness of cutting and folding the piece of Teeth Cushion that you need. You might feel clumsy trying to get it right, as was my case. Eventually I was able to easily cut and fold what I need. When applied according to the instructions, the teeth cushion does not interfere with my embouchure, articulation, or wind flow. For clarinetists using the French embouchure, also known as double-lip embouchure, Teeth Cushion can also be used on the upper incisors. It's an excellent product. (This review was updated by me with minor editing on May 16, 2021.)

I received the small plastic package but not directions to explain how to use it. The paper shown in the picture was not included with item, a necessary part of the purchase.

No better or worse than similar products on the market.

If you cut strips that fit over your lower 4 teeth and fold them according to instructions, it works like a charm. My lower lip doesn’t hurt or bleed, even during 2+ hour rehearsals. It molds quickly to your bottom teeth and is undetectable during play. If you remove it carefully and store it in a small container, it can be used again for a week or so. It isn’t a permanent solution, so each little strip you cut will eventually wear out.

I have been using this product for thirty years and it is gratifying to see new generations continue to recognize it as the best protector to avoid hurting the lip.

Really helps. Use it all the time! I hope that this will cost less. It does get expensive. Just a thought. Thank you!

A+