INSTRUCTIONS for CARE of WOUND The pressure bandage (Jaw Bra) should be worn continuously for about 48 hours. After 48 hours, the bandage may be used as a jaw “support” as needed. Many patients find that it is useful for several days until jaw strength improves.
You should continue to wear the rubber bands for four to six weeks unless otherwise directed by your orthodontist.
You may have some soreness and may have some difficulty in opening your mouth. This may prevent you from brushing the tongue side of your teeth. This will improve in time and you should be able to accomplish this without difficulty within the first week to ten days after surgery.
You will likely be encouraged to drink from a cup around two weeks into your recovery.
6 Weeks Post Surgery
At this stage in the healing process, you may attempt chewing soft foods such as chicken, fish and hamburger in small amounts. It is important to avoid putting too much force on the bones, which are still healing.
The upper lip and sides of the nose may be numb or have an altered feeling following surgery, and improvement may require 4 to 6 months.
Swelling: You can expect swelling to be the worst in the first week after oral surgery. It's usually most noticeable from three to five days after surgery, then it gradually lessens. Bruising: Bruising often accompanies swelling, and it dissipates as the swelling subsides.
Following your surgery and throughout the post-operative recovery period, especially if your jaw is wired shut, you could lose as much as 10 percent of your body weight.
Normal recovery time lasts just a couple of weeks for minor surgery. For more complicated surgery, the initial healing phase can last about six to eight weeks. Complete healing of the jaws can take between 9 and 12 months.
For 2 jaw surgery, 3 to 4 weeks is recommended to be off work or school. For one jaw surgery, 2 weeks is possible. Soft diet needs to continue for a total of 6 weeks after which time a full recovery to normal diet and activities are expected.
Any time missed in wearing your elastics will only make your treatment take longer, so remember these things: You are responsible for placing the elastics on your braces between appointments. Make sure to wear them as instructed.
Screws may not be retrievable at all without extensive drilling of the bone. In general, fixation plates that do not become exposed do no require removal after orthognathic surgery. However, if removal is desired by the patient, it should be done after about one year.
Don't try to fight them and open or move your jaw. If you need to cough, sneeze, or yawn, use your hand to support below your chin to avoid the tendency to try to open your mouth!
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.
You are likely to have a more symmetrical and better-proportioned appearance. Jaw surgery corrects an overbite. Bite misalignments like overbites can significantly affect your appearance. Corrective jaw surgery moves realign the jaw backward or forward, giving you a youthful and more pronounced smile.
To put it in simple words, the process makes it possible to move and reshape entire parts of a patient's face. The jaw bone is cut and can be molded and subsequently moved forward or backward, depending on a patient's specific requirements. It will be fixed in place lastingly. This would give you a completely new look.
In the first days of recovery after orthognathic, patients will experience the most significant amounts of pain and discomfort. Swelling, drooling, and issues with numbness will similarly be most pronounced during this time, as will problems sleeping due to jaw pain.
You will progress to a soft food or soft-chew diet around after 2 months of recovery (give or take a week). You must avoid anything crunchy or hard to chew, as it can damage your jaw and disrupt the healing process. If you find it uncomfortable to chew, remain on a no-chew diet for another week.
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.
As long as your head is elevated above your heart, you should be fine. It is recommended that you sleep at an incline for at least three days and nights following oral surgery. This will help with the healing process. If you feel throbbing in your mouth or jaw when you lie down, try adding another pillow.
Swelling and Bruising.
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.
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.
Increased stress hormones: Surgery is emotionally and physically stressful. This can lead to an increase in stress hormones in the body, which in turn makes sleep more challenging.
Jaw surgery is usually not painful.
This misconception makes the whole procedure seem utterly invasive and is supported by thousands of photos of bruised and swollen people after undergoing orthognathic surgery, so it may be difficult to believe that very few patients report actual pain.