Common Questions
Following is a list of the most common questions I’ve received about double jaw surgery. If your question is not answered below, feel free to ask about it in the comments and I’d be happy to respond there.
Before the surgery:
- Why should I get jaw surgery?
- Is jaw surgery painful?
- How long does it take to recover from jaw surgery?
- How much does jaw surgery cost?
- What should I buy to prepare for recovery?
After the surgery:
- Will I look different after jaw surgery?
- How much weight will I lose after jaw surgery?
- Will I experience numbness after jaw surgery?
- Will I get all of my feeling back after jaw surgery?
- What can I eat after jaw surgery?
Cries for help:
- Help, I’m experiencing pain!
- Help, my breath is terrible!
- Help, my teeth are no longer touching!
- Help, my jaw movement is not returning!
- Help, I don’t look like myself anymore!
Why should I get jaw surgery?
There are several reasons to undergo jaw surgery:
- To be able to chew with all your teeth
- To speak without a lisp
- To speak without spitting
- To stop your mouth from hanging open
- To stop breathing through your mouth and start breathing through your nose
- To change your appearance (side profile)
These reasons are all explained on the Reasons to Get Jaw Surgery page.
Is jaw surgery painful?
Jaw surgery is usually not painful. This may be difficult to believe, but since your nerves become bruised and numb during the surgery, you don’t actually feel any of the pain. By the time feeling returns to your face, most of the pain is gone.
Granted, you’ll experience a bit of pain when you yawn, sneeze and cough. It’ll also hurt when your jaw spasms (and it will spasm for the first month), but for the most part, you should not experience much pain at all.
How long does it take to recover from jaw surgery?
It will take 90 days (3 months) for a full recovery after jaw surgery. Most of your feeling and energy will be back after 2 months, but it takes a full 90 days for your bone to fuse back together. A full range of motion in your jaw will return depending on how much you’re moving it around, so make sure you follow the exercises your surgeon gives you.
How much does jaw surgery cost?
Jaw surgery costs roughly $5000 in Canada, but that price may differ significantly in other provinces and countries. If your surgery is deemed cosmetic (instead of “medically necessary”), the cost will be higher because you’ll be required to cover the hospital bills. Sadly, patients in the US have seen jaw surgery bills in excess of $50,000.
What should I buy to prepare for recovery?
You can find a full list of items that with help you through the recovery at the Must-Have Recovery Products page.
Will I look different after jaw surgery?
You will notice subtle changes in your appearance following jaw surgery. Your overbite/underbite will no longer be present and your cheeks, nose, and chin may take on a different shape as well. My cheeks filled out a lot as a result of my surgery.
How much weight will I lose after jaw surgery?
Most people lose between 5–10 pounds during the first month of their recovery. The general rule of thumb is that you will lose weight until you reach your natural body weight.
Will I experience numbness after jaw surgery?
Yes, you will experience extreme numbness following jaw surgery. During the operation, several nerves in your face and chin have to be moved around. When you move a nerve, it becomes bruised, and when a nerve is bruised, it stops providing sensations, thus giving you that numb feeling (more on this in my Day 20 post).
Will I get all of my feeling back after jaw surgery?
70% of patients regain full feeling, while 30% may experience slightly numb areas in their cheeks, chin and lower lip for the rest of their lives. The feeling you have after 6 months post-op is likely what you’ll live with for the rest of your life.
What can I eat after jaw surgery?
You’ll be on a strict liquid diet following jaw surgery. Buy lots of Boost, Ensure or Carnation supplements and learn to make smoothies, because these will be your staple foods for at least the first 2 weeks. I had to eat them for 8 weeks, but my surgery was a bit more invasive than most. You’ll probably have to administer your food through a syringe for the first week as well.
Once your surgeon gives you permission to start chewing again, you can begin to eat soft foods such as pasta and mashed potatoes. During the weeks following your re-entry into the realm of chewing, you’ll be able to eat whatever is comfortable. Don’t expect to tear into a steak as soon as you’re allowed to chew again, though.
If you have the following implements, you should survive perfectly fine:
- A reliable blender (this is extremely important, as you’ll be blending almost everything)
- Smoothie materials (ice cream, yogurt, milk, bananas, strawberries, granola, peanut butter, honey, etc.) — Recipe
- Soup (you’ll have to blend everything except tomato soup)
- Ensure, Boost or Carnation (I drank 3 of these per day during my liquid diet phase)
- Prune juice (you’ll need the fiber in it)
- Whole milk (you’ll need all the calcium you can get so your bones heal back just as strong as they were before)
- Water (make sure you drink at least 1 L of water per day; drinking 2 L per day is a much better option)
The most important item on that list is water. If you don’t drink enough water each day, you’ll become dehydrated and sick, and your bowel movements won’t feel good because none of the fiber you’re eating will dissolve into your body.
Help, I’m experiencing pain!
If your pain is chronic (ie. consistent and throbbing), you may have an infection and should schedule a visit with your surgeon just to be safe.
On the other hand, if your pain comes in small bouts, it’s likely your nerves reawakening or your teeth being pulled by the elastics. In this case, just be patient and the pain will subside in due time. If you were prescribed pain medication, that may help as well.
Help, my breath is terrible!
At times, your breath may be indicative of the fact that you are not allowed to brush your teeth or floss during the first several weeks of recovery. To aid in freshening your breath, try gurgling with warm salt water a few times each day. Soon enough, you’ll be given the go-ahead to brush and floss again.
Help, my teeth are no longer touching!
An open bite is a common problem following jaw surgery. Fear not, however, because your teeth will naturally grow until they encounter opposition (in the form of your other jaw), so this problem will slowly correct itself over time.
Help, my jaw movement is not returning!
If you have been given the green light to resume eating regular food, but the movement in your jaw doesn’t seem to be returning, try whistling and chewing gum each day. Whistling will help to break up scar tissue, while chewing gum will stretch the muscles in your jaw.
Help, I don’t look like myself anymore!
This is perhaps the most common fear people have following jaw surgery. Remember that swelling takes a minimum of 3 months to go away, so try to avoid judging your appearance until that point.
Also, keep in mind that you are your own worst critic because you’ve been seeing your face in the mirror every single day for most of your life. While the subtle changes in your appearance seem drastic to you, most people will not even notice that your face changed shape.
January 11, 2011 at 7:35 am
Spasms are completely normal, so when they occur, don’t fret too much.
You’ll likely be wired shut for a couple of weeks, but you can still drink things like soup and smoothies. It’s more of a frustration game than anything else.
Best of luck!
January 11, 2011 at 1:18 am
I’m about to go ointo surgery & I’m scared what’s spasms & shhut tight?
January 8, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Hey Lindsay,
I had the surgery performed in Canada, so the province covered about 80% of it right off the bat. I ended up paying around $5000.
My breathing was affected as well. I’m really glad I underwent this operation because breathing, talking and chewing are all much easier now.
As far as your little one, it will most definitely be difficult because you’ll likely be unable to speak (or do much of anything) for at least 2-3 weeks. You may want to seek out some help from a family member for the first few weeks of your recovery.
Try to find a past client of your surgeon’s to ask them about their experience. Best of luck!
January 8, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Hi, first I want to ty for posted about ur surgery… Like u, I to need double jaw surgery… I will admit that as the days get closer to just having my consult, i’ve become worried and all these thoughts are running through my head,and im hoping that having my consult on the 18th of the month wont turn me away out of fear.. Reading ur blog along with others comments makes me both excited and afraid.. Ive had my braces on for 2 yrs 4 mths and now im suppose to have a leforte 1 with mid line split plus some other stuff.. The reason for my surgery isnt only for my teeth, its for my breathing as well… HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS ISSUE?? When u went for your consult what did they do? And did ur insurance company give ur surgion a run around??? People have told me,(included my orthodontist) that the insurance companies try to deny the claim bc they make it out to be cosmetic, had u had any problems getting approved? After surgery was it extremely hard , i ask this bc i have a 20 mth old and she really is a handful and I honestly dont have much help around me… Sorry if these answers are in any of the above comments, but i hadnt read all of them…. also they did a nice job on u 😉
December 23, 2010 at 1:25 am
Hi frankeye,
The liquid diet during the holidays is definitely a disappointment, but just think about how amazing next Christmas will be! 😉
Enjoy your new smile in the new year!
December 22, 2010 at 4:33 am
I just had the surgery on dec 15, 2010 at 34 years old…I never realized how dfficult being on a liquid diet during the holidays would be, I am managing being a mom and dealing.Thanks so much for your blog. It helps those of us who need a little added support and reference. I was having a pity party there for awhile and am doing better. thanks so much!
December 20, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Hi Ashley,
First off, enjoy the downtime! Even though it’s uncomfortable, we don’t get enough time to relax these days.
My diet consisted solely of fruit smoothies and Chunky soup up until my splint was removed and I could start chewing again. I tried blending a hamburger patty once, and liver another time, but they were both pretty unpleasant to eat. The taste is good, but the texture is pretty difficult to get over.
That’s personal preference though. You should give it a try. The worst that can happen is you realize you’re not a fan and then you can fall victim to the power of Ensure. 😀
December 20, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Ken, that sounds perfectly normal, yes. Swelling peaks during the 3rd and 4th days and will slowly subside after that. My swelling took several months to go away completely.
She’ll be a lot happier about 2 weeks from now. 🙂
December 20, 2010 at 8:29 am
Hey Graham! 🙂 My surgery date was 12/17/10, so that puts me at 3 days post-op. I just want to thank you for making this website – your humor and optimism really make the healing process so much easier, and of course, it helps to know that I’m not alone in this! Right now, I’m enjoying just vegging out on the couch… the meds they have me on make me pretty tired, so at least I can nap during the day.
Besides Campbell’s Chunky Soup, were there any other savory, blend-able foods you would recommend (anything with meat)? It’s difficult to keep my calories up when I only want to drink my food. I may end up with my own mountain of Ensure soon enough 🙂
Again, thanks for making this site and for all of your encouragement. Your results look amazing, and good luck with anything you may encounter!
December 20, 2010 at 4:48 am
Hey Graham, amazing site. My 22 year old daughter had double jaw surgery last Tuesday. Today is day 6 and her lips are still very swollen. Most other swelling has started to decline.Does this seem normal to you?
December 5, 2010 at 10:58 pm
I was playing Ultimate Frisbee and baseball about 6 weeks after surgery, but they don’t recommend things like that until the 3 month mark.
If you’re a young, active guy, you’ll have a lot of energy back within 6 weeks though.
December 5, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Hey Graham, thanks for posting about your recovery. It’s good to know that it’s all manageable. I’m having the same procedure done in about a week. I have a similar question to j’s. I’m really active and am hoping to get back into that ASAP after this is done. Mostly I run- not likely to hit my face doing that. How long was it until you could do that again?
December 5, 2010 at 1:43 am
j, once you’re completely healed, your jaw will be just as strong as before, so you can play whatever sports you like. Just make sure you wait until you’re completely healed up!
December 4, 2010 at 9:59 pm
hey! im just starting my orthodontics and will be having my double jaw surgery in a years time. i was just wondering if its possible to play sports such as football or basketball, or even boxing when the jaw has completely healed.
November 29, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Hi Stan, glad to hear it helped! Good luck next year. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions. =)
November 29, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Thanks Graham. Your site is awesome. I have been waiting for last 7-8 years to do this surgery and i was scared so much. Now after reading through your post i am feeling more confident and planning to do it next year.
November 25, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Jessica, I remember being hungry for a solid 7-8 weeks following surgery, so don’t expect anything amazing just yet. It’s just a symptom of living in the developed part of the world–we’re so used to eating to our heart’s content that we feel hungry when we only eat what our bodies actually need. 🙂
The only smoothie I made is described here: http://doublejawsurgery.com/day-10-just-add-peanut-butter
It’s both tasty AND fills you up (providing you have 3 or 4 of them).
November 25, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I am on day 10 of my jaw surgury. I had my upper jaw moved up (to prevent showing gum when I smile) and my lower jaw moved forward to correct my bite,and my wisdom teeth pulled..all at once! I did not do a lot of research prior to surgury or ask a lot of questions. I new it was a part of my orthodontic treatment and I didn’t want to scare myself out of surgury.
My first week was awful!! I was so weak and sick to my stomac. I am completley elastic shut so I am constantly trying to find things that I can drink through a straw other then tomatoe soup and juices. I AM STARVING! I have lost 10 pounds since my surgury and am running out of ideas to drink. Does anyone have any great warm/cold smoothie ideas??
Like others have said here, I also have the tingleing/ burning sensation, mostly in my chin. The doc told me today that tinling and burning is a GREAT sign!!! It means that the nerves are repairing.
The roughest part of this experince is not being able to eat anything! Only liquids that can fit through a straw. I suffered no pain just a lot of disconfort.
November 15, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Hey Caryn,
You’ll have to ask your surgeon about having your jaw wired shut. I think your jaw is usually bound with elastics for the first week or so at least.
Metal detectors won’t be a problem. Although that would be fun. 😉
November 15, 2010 at 9:15 am
Hey, I’m new to this whole jaw surgery thing… I got told a couple of weeks ago that I would need to have lower jaw surgery for my teeth to ever be straight and I have recently had quite a lot of pain from my jaw. If I had the surgery done, would I have to have my jaw wired shut and would I beep going through a metal detector?? Haha 😛