Do You Have This Weird Oral Tick?
Known as “teeth drumming,” some people use their pearly whites to make music, although dentists don’t necessarily support it.
By Riley Blake
Put down those drum sticks and start clacking your jaw. (Art: Megan Liscomb)
If you’re trying to get in touch with your inner musician, look no further than your teeth.
Best described as closing your lips and clacking your pearly whites together to make music, “teeth drumming” is a little-known hobby practiced mainly by musicians and wannabe drummers. Most information about it can be found on Reddit, where there is a group (r/teethdrumming) of nearly 6,000 members who discuss the peculiar art-form, share videos of their musical performances (if that’s what you’d call them), and commiserate over their dental concerns.
For the most part, teeth drummers who learn about the Reddit group are often ecstatic to discover they’re not the only person who does it.
“[It’s] kind of a secret society,” 23-year-old Jenn Conrad told OK Whatever. “When I see someone posted, it reminds me that I’m part of a small, little, in-group of people with a hidden ‘talent.’ ”
Conrad only realized a few years ago that her oral tick of tapping her teeth along to songs wasn’t something everyone did.
“I chatter my teeth rhythmically while my mouth is closed. Sometimes it’s along with a song I’m listening to, sometimes it’s when I have a song playing in my head. Sometimes it’s just a rhythm while I’m studying to help keep me attending to a task.”
How common is teeth drumming? Not that common among people without a background in physical drumming. Because of the timing and rhythm involved in creating beats with your teeth, it comes more naturally to traditional percussionists who are already accustomed to focusing on tempos.
“I have been making beats with my teeth ever since I was little and I recently found out I wasn’t alone as two of my closest friends (who are also drummers) do this,” one Reddit user said.
Most teeth drummers, it turns out, are actual drummers in real life, too. (Flickr/Andy Wright)
Not every teeth drummer is a traditional drummer, like Conrad, who points to stress as the cause of her teeth drumming. While some embrace teeth drumming more than others, it’s often discussed as an involuntary action that the “drummer” doesn’t even realize they’re engaging in.
“I’ve been doing this as long as I can remember. It increases when I get anxious or stressed, kind of like fidgeting when people are nervous,” Conrad said.
The source of the urge to teeth drum can be hard to pinpoint. Some attribute it to habit, while others, like Conrad, believe it is caused by anxiety. But one thing the community agrees upon is that they all run the risk of creating long-term damage to their mouths. Chipped or crooked teeth and TMJ disorders remain top on that list. One Reddit user even voiced concerns that teeth drumming to a Hamilton song may have caused a case of exostosis (the growth of new bone on top of already existing bone).
Related reading:
“Losing A Piece Of Tooth — And A Lot of Negative Energy”
“What Happens If You Swallow a Lego?”
Despite the high risks involved in teeth drumming, Conrad has so far only experienced one visit to the dentist because of it.
“My teeth ‘shifted’ last summer actually, to the degree that I went to the dentist because of a painful contact point, and she shaved down my tooth. But other than that, no chipped teeth.”
As for what’s next in the teeth drumming community, Conrad hopes there will be research done into the motivations behind why people develop the peculiar oral tick — and if there are any benefits to doing it.
Though it may seem like an innocent oral tick, teeth drumming can cause serious damage to your pearly whites, too. (Flickr/cybrgrl)
Until then, Conrad plans to continue practicing the unique musical pastime, teeth drumming her way through whatever tunes are on her mind.
“Most people have go-to songs or beats,” she said. “My favorite is ‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley.”
RILEY BLAKE IS AN OREGON-BASED WRITER. IF HE'S NOT WRITING, HE CAN BE FOUND PAINTING WITH ABSURD AMOUNTS OF COLOR, SNOWBOARDING, COOKING STRANGE MEATS, OR LOVING ON HIS ADORABLE CAT.
MEGAN LISCOMB IS AN ILLUSTRATOR IN BROOKLYN AND HER CATS ARE NAMED LEBOWSKI AND SMALLS.
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