Hii peeps I have been told that I should get braces in the next few years which is kind of annoying because I love to play music and I know that braces affect the embouchure. However, I don’t know when to get them. I would really like to do my grade 8 flute and grade 7 saxophone before I get them but my preparation might be a bit rushed. Do you think I should do my grades before and practise really hard, while I have my braces and risk the tone or wait until after my braces have been taken off when I might be a bit bored of playing the same pieces. I am 13 and do not want to be too much older when I get my braces but… HELP!!! xx

Oh and please please reply. I simply need advice and would be most grateful if you helped me!! Thank you so so much xx

If you need braces; you need braces. If your grade exams are in the next 6 months, then I would say put off getting the braces for up to 6 months. Otherwise, dive in and get it over with.

I have posted several times about braces. It's not enough to "know" that it affects your embouchure. It is important to know 'how' it affects and why it affects the embouchure. Here is my recommendation to playing with or without braces - - -

I work with brass players but some of what I say should apply to you. Understand what is happening:
You had a nice embouchure and now there is a bunch of metal or plastic on the front of your teeth. Your lips can't stretch over the braces - - - yet. What you want to do is a little exercise twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Find a note you can play and then go down chromatically until you can't anymore then go back up as high as you can. Moving chromatically will help you stretch your lips slowly and gently. You should notice great improvement in 4 to 7 days. You need to do this twice a day or it doesn't work.

Now, if you are worried about stretching your lips out and having fat lips forever - don't worry. Because you are still young you have lots of elasticity in your lips. When you get your braces off your lips will be stretched too much. But do this same exercise and your lips will pull back to their normal shape (in about the same 4 days).

Also - long tones help immensely.
There's my 2 cents.

Thank you so so much for your advice. I'll do that