Your jaws will be wired together approximately six to eight weeks. This is the time it takes for the bones to heal in a good, strong union. During the time your jaws are wired together, you will find eating, talking and other daily activities somewhat difficult.
We ask that you maintain a no-chew diet for 6 weeks, but it may take longer than that to be able to eat normally. Difficulty opening your jaw can occur for several weeks but should be back to normal by about 8 weeks after surgery.
Most patients are not wired shut, following surgery. However, if jaw wiring is required in your surgery please read the following instructions: After you return home, you should advance your clear liquid diet to full liquids (dairy products, etc.) and blenderized (liquefied) foods.
After Jawbone Surgery
Therefore, after your surgery, try to avoid strenuous activities. Bending, driving, or lifting may dislodge the clot and cause you to bleed. So, gradually progress the intensity of your movement, limiting how you talk, eat and drink for the first day after your oral surgery.
Jaw Surgery Diet
– you will adhere to a liquid diet for the initial healing phase of one month. Then you will move to a no chew diet for the second month. In the third and fourth month of the healing phase following jaw surgery, you will progress to a soft food diet.
If an upper jaw surgery is performed, you will need to be on sinus precautions. This entails not blowing your nose for 2 weeks. Try not to sneeze for 2 weeks. If you do sneeze, do it with your mouth open to equalize the pressure between your mouth and the sinus.
Since surgery produces soreness in the muscles and bones of the jaw, as well as the lips, nose and other areas of the face, some difficulty can be encountered in performing such tasks as eating, drinking, and cleaning your teeth.
Since the numbness is sensory, not motor, you can eat, talk, kiss and open and close your mouth normally, but patients report a feeling of numbness in the chin area of the face and/or lower lip area. Some patients report a feeling of tingling.
You will be able to shower on the second day after surgery. You must avoid hot, prolonged showers which may cause bleeding in the upper jaw if surgery is performed there. Avoid exercises, any heavy lifting or activity that raises your blood pressure or pulse for at least one month after the surgery.
Jaw Surgery Recovery Timeline
Once you return home, you will be on a liquid diet for two weeks. After this, you can slowly begin adding foods such as cooked, mashed foods such as mashed potatoes, hummus, refried beans, and mashed, cooked vegetables.
The mandible is the moving jaw and therefore discomfort is precipitated with increasing movement, such as chewing, yawning, and talking. Reduction and/or modification of these activities for the first few weeks following surgery alleviates the discomfort, as will the use of the pain medication and ice applications.
Your jaws will be wired together approximately six to eight weeks. This is the time it takes for the bones to heal in a good, strong union. During the time your jaws are wired together, you will find eating, talking and other daily activities somewhat difficult.
After oral surgery, you may have a challenging time falling asleep. While this is normal, you should be aware that there are things you can do that will help keep the swelling down-and, in turn, speed your recovery and assist you in sleeping comfortably.
Tissue injury, whether accidental or intentional (e.g. surgery), is followed by localized swelling. After surgery, swelling increases progressively, reaching its peak by the third day. It is generally worse when you first arise in the morning and decreases throughout the day.
Jaw stiffness and soreness is common after oral surgery and may result in limited mouth opening (trismus). This is as a result of the surgery involving the jaw muscles at or near the surgical site. This condition may last for a few days to a week. On rare occasions, jaw stiffness may take longer to resolve.
If you sleep on the same side as your surgical wounds, you can also be faced with problems. The pressure on your surgical wounds can add to your discomfort. All of these issues can affect how well you can heal as well as lengthen your recovery time and increase your risk of complications.
You may have some soreness and difficulty opening your mouth, which may prevent you from brushing all of your teeth. This probably will improve with time and you should be able to accomplish this without difficulty within the first week to ten days after surgery.
Cough and breathe deeply every hour for the first several days after surgery. Due to the medication given in the operating room, you may become tearful or sad around the third day after surgery. This is from the medicine wearing off and is normal.
Corrective Jaw Surgery Risks
Risks include infection, bleeding or the need for further surgery to improve or adjust a result. While patients frequently feel numbness or tingling in various areas of their face and mouth after surgery, the sensation usually goes away as the swelling subsides.
Sleep in a recliner if possible or propped up with 3 pillows. Ice should be used for the first 48–72 hours. Remember, your face will be numb. You will be given some form of steroid to reduce swelling, usually an injection prior to leaving the hospital.
The non-chew diet should be followed for about three weeks, as well. Soft foods are next, and even these should be cut into small, easily chewed pieces. We recommend fish, white rice, bananas, mangoes, white bread, pureed fruits and vegetables, canned chicken, avocado, cottage cheese, soft beans, and meatloaf.
The amount of swelling that will take place in your cheeks will make it very difficult to brush your teeth. In fact, you should not brush your teeth for 1 full week after surgery, otherwise the incisions can be damaged and bleeding may start.
You will be completely numb on the jaw that was operated on, so there is not a great amount of pain. However, the swelling starts up immediately and there is some jaw stiffness to be anticipated. There is some soreness from the breathing tube that the anesthetist places and this soreness will also subside with time.
Numbness: If you have had lower jaw and/or chin surgery, your bottom lip will be numb and tingly after the operation. This is similar to the sensation you might feel after having an injection at the dentist. About one in 10 people will have some tingling or numbness that can last several weeks.