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.
June 21, 2014 at 9:14 am
Hey Graham!
I can’t thank you enough for this website. My daughter had her sx on Monday, June 16th, and it’s not been easy (double jaw sx for underbite, and widening of upper palate), and were it not for your website AND your continuing to care for your readers, I don’t think we would have made it through this week. She has had a lot of pain (the doctors said most people don’t get feeling back in their face as quickly as she has), but I keep telling her she’s not alone, and it WILL get better.
I do have a question (she would like to know):
Her swelling seems to be quite lopsided, and her nose is crooked. I’m sure it’s normal (and I did ask her doctor about it…he’s not concerned), but I guess she needs to hear from you or your readers that it will even out in time, and she will not always look like this.
I’m guessing that at only 6 days out from surgery, this is VERY normal.
Thanks again for your thoughtfulness and caring for others. May you receive it all back 100 fold! 🙂
June 22, 2014 at 8:38 am
Lalu, it’s always frustrating to hear about the first few weeks of recovery for others because I remember how difficult every little task seemed. With regards to swelling, your daughter has nothing to worry about. I recall also fretting about having a lopsided face and a crooked nose, but once the swelling goes away, everything will be aligned once again. Do keep in mind that it’s best not to evaluate the look or shape of your face until approximately 2.5 months have passed, because the swelling can pull your nose out of line up until that point. Keep encouraging your daughter and let her that that the second week will be a bit better and the third week will be a lot better. =)
June 15, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Hey man, so impressed with your upkeep on this blog, i would have given up in the first 2 weeks.
This isn’t strictly a question, just praise. You’ve helped me (and obviously plenty of others) to answer most questions and keep optimistic through this fairly grotty period, so thank you!
Nearly got my splint off now and aiming to be sorted by the end of the month for a gig i’ve been planning!
Cheers,
Will
June 16, 2014 at 8:12 am
Will, always happy to hear that my rants have helped people with their recovery. Enjoy life post-splint!
June 13, 2014 at 8:06 am
What did you do to lose so much weight in two weeks?
June 14, 2014 at 11:00 am
Anna, the only reason I lost so much weight initially is because I was intentionally bulking up at the gym in the months before surgery. I basically lost weight until I was a few pounds below my natural weight. If you go into surgery at your natural weight, you’ll likely only lost 5–10 lbs.
June 11, 2014 at 1:10 am
I think it’s soooo amazing how after years of writing this you still care to respond to people. You’re amazing!!!!
I want jaw surgery so bad for my over bite. …
Buti still look attractive as it is now so im scared it will change how i look in a bad way.
But i hate my teeth. All my family and my husband say they like my teeth. But i hate them!!
Should i just do it?
June 11, 2014 at 10:32 am
Tabitha, I would recommend undergoing this surgery only if you require it for medical reasons. If you’re having trouble breathing, speaking clearly, chewing, sleeping, or keeping your mouth closed, then this surgery will help. If your only concerns are cosmetic, it’s probably not worth the trauma to your body. That being said, there’s no harm in going in for a consultation with an oral surgeon and asking for their professional opinion. =)
June 2, 2014 at 6:34 pm
First, thank you Graham for keeping this blog up years after you are fully recovered! Reading through all the comments and the different experiences is oddly soothing.
I’m 21 and on day 18 of recovery! I’m not 100% what the proper medical terms are but I had a deviated jaw bite (5mm) as well as an overbite(2mm) which resulted in cutting, placing, and adding 21 screws both the top and bottom of my face. I was never locked shut with metal(thank goodness) but have been placed on heavy elastics which I was told to not remove which keep my jaw completely shut (hail the smoothie gods).
A few days ago I started having acute pain in my left ear (the side which I was shifted) which I would put on a 9/10 pain scale. I have been told that the extreme numbness of my face was normal and the tingling was actually a positive sign of nerves being active again but have never heard about extreme pain around my ears? I’m afraid that this might be a sign that something has gone wrong? Maybe I’ve cracked something during one of my spazzes (They are more and more frequent and usually at night) ?
June 3, 2014 at 9:38 am
Rosalie, I’ve met a few people who experienced an onslaught of ear pain at different points during the first month of recovery. As your jaw heals, it does shift around minutely, so it’s possible the latest shift could be inducing pressure, thereby causing the pain in your ear. If it continues for more than a day or two, I would give you surgeon a call and ask if they can run a quick x-ray to make sure nothing has bumped out of place. Apologies that I can’t provide a more direct answer… I’m just pretending to be a doctor here! =)
May 28, 2014 at 7:24 pm
I’ve had a hard time finding anyone my age who has had jaw sugery. I’m 59 and I had bilateral saggital split osteotomy May 1st. It has been a good experience so far. Being unable to tolerate side effects of pain medication I haven’t used any since the day of surgery. My numbness gets better every day. I have to admit I don’t enjoy the burning and tingling. I keep telling myself it’s a good thing because I know my nerves are alive. Thank you for your blog. It gives us all encouragement. I am four weeks out and I’m happy with the results so far.
May 29, 2014 at 8:14 am
Bonita, I’ve met a few people around your age who took on this surgery and recovered much the same as everyone else, so you can rest assured your experience should be similar to what you find on this blog. And good call with viewing the burning and tingling (I call that feeling “pins and needles”) as confirmation that your nerves are healing up!
May 27, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Thank you Graham that’s a great reassurance !
Also , my teeth are shut with tight elastics. I was wondering how long was it before you started brushing the inside of your mouth ?
My surgeon told me to practise taking off the elastics and putting them back on so I can brush my teeth inside and so forth. I’m nervous about it. What if I can’t do it or I do it wrong or hook it on the wrong hook ? Will that affect anything
I know this sounds really stupid but it’s almost like im scared to open my mouth because I feel like it could just break apart. Lol I have some serious physiological issues clearly
May 28, 2014 at 9:37 am
Hi Serina,
I wasn’t able to brush the inside of my mouth until I had my splint removed at 7 weeks post-op. It’s amazing that one can avoid brushing their teeth for that long and still not have cavities. I guess that’s one of the benefits of not eating sugar.
Don’t fret about switching your elastics. Just keep practising and soon it won’t be a chore at all. It took me over 10 minutes to switch my elastics the first time I tried, but I was down to about 15 seconds soon after that. If you place them on the wrong hooks, you’ll feel tension on your teeth and know to fix them. You won’t cause any longterm damage, so no need to worry about that. =)
May 24, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Hi Graham I got lower jaw surgery done on Monday . It’s now day 5. I’m a little bit concerned . On day one I was spitting out a lot of blood but by day two that had dissapeared . I haven’t been bleeding for days . However all of a sudden today day 5 i’m bleeding again . Is this normal
May 26, 2014 at 9:24 am
Serina, I wouldn’t worry about random bleeding during the first couple of weeks. With all of the swelling, coupled with your stitches, there are many opportunities for the skin inside your mouth to tear a bit and produce blood (you might not even feel it due to being a bit numb). Unless the bleeding is causing chronic pain or affecting your breathing, I would imagine it will go away in short time. =)
May 15, 2014 at 5:57 pm
Hey Graham,
I have to say your blog prepared me and helped me get through the time after my jaw surgery. I got double jaw surgery on May 2nd, so I’m at my two week point. Miraculously almost all of my swelling is gone, i feel little to no pain, and I’m pretty much back to normal. My surgeon and physiotherapist suggest i try the soft food diet, dream come true right, not so much. i’ve read your blog over many times so i feel like i should know this but were you on a completely liquid diet the time you had your splint in? If not my struggle is trying to chew anything with the splint. It’s like trying to chew with a mouth guard in. Any suggestions? Also did you feel like you had to learn how to chew again, I’m having that problem too. The chewing motion does not feel natural. One more thing, cleaning, I brush at least three times a day, if I’m home i rinse my mouth out after every “meal”, I’ve gone through more mouth wash in these two weeks then i would in three months, did you have little tricks to get between wires or anything so you feel like you didn’t have bad breathe all the time? Thanks for the help.
May 16, 2014 at 8:34 am
Hi Michelle,
1) I was on a liquid diet the entire time I had my splint in (7 weeks) for the same reason you mentioned—I was unable to chew with it in. I survived on fruit smoothies and different flavors of blended Chunky soup.
2) The day my splint was removed, I was really excited to eat some pasta, however, I wasn’t able to do so. It took me about 2 weeks to build up enough strength in my jaw to be able to eat even soft foods like spaghetti and noodle soups with vegetables in them. I also had to relearn how to chew due to my jaws being in a different position than my brain was used to having them. That part took about 3 days, however I would accidentally (but rarely) bite my tongue and cheek once in a while for about 6 months afterwards.
3) As for brushing, I could not find anything that would eliminate my bad breath. It smelled like I had meat being smoked in my mouth until I finally got my splint out and was able to brush and floss properly. I simply learned to not breathe on people and to not exhale towards people while speaking.
It’s amazing how clean you first feel when your splint is removed. Being able to brush, floss, and swish mouthwash around is incredible!
All in all, everything you’re experiencing is perfectly normal and you have nothing to worry about. =)
May 14, 2014 at 1:32 pm
Thank you so much,I talked to my coach about it so it might be a while to heal
May 14, 2014 at 7:26 am
Uk calling here! I just wanted to say what an amazing blog this is! My daughter underwent double jaw surgery on April 29th this year, to correct an overbite that she had as she was born with a cleft lip and palate.She has had her top jaw moved out and down, and her bottom jaw moved back,and needless to say, she has her jaw wired. She is now on day 15 following surgery and I am amazed at her strong spirit! All of the other peoples experiences on here have helped so much in understanding that everything she is going through is perfectly normal. Thankyou to all that have posted, your experiences shared are invaluable! Hope you are all recovered, or recovering well. :-))
May 14, 2014 at 8:53 am
Jo, glad to hear my stories have provided some assurance for you! It sounds like your daughter has a positive attitude about this entire situation, and that alone is the most useful tool to combat recovery. May she smile brighter forevermore!
May 14, 2014 at 12:13 am
hey graham! im not sure if you still check this site and reply to the comments. Ive been trying to do the surgery for the past 5 years but i couldnt because of the financial issue. I went to an orthodontist who told me he can fix my underbite(which was class 3) with braces and elastics. i got braces for 4 years and the orthodontist turned out to be a fraud who closed his clinic and now i’m stuck with the brackets. i finally have an appointment with a jaw surgeon Monday and hopefully i will be on the road to getting my under bite fixed! your site has helped me a lot. thanks to you, i now know everything i will have to go through since i will also be undergoing a double jaw surgery. 4 years after u created this website and its still helping so many people…thank you so much!
May 14, 2014 at 8:49 am
Donna, that’s too bad to hear about your experience with the orthodontist. I think dishonesty is one of the most unattractive traits in society today, but I know it’s still rampant. Good luck with your consultations and let me know when you’ll be going in for surgery! =)
May 8, 2014 at 4:39 am
I just got my jaw splint off yesterday after having it on for 8 weeks.
I am in a bit of a panic had cooked up liver & bacon my favourite tonight thinking it would be ok but couldn’t bite down on it at all. Ended up having to put it all through the blender. I am worried I am never going to be able to chew again. I had double jaw surgery where they widened my palate, straightened & brought forward both jaws, genioplasty, widened my oesophagus & did a septoplasty for a deviated septum. I was in surgery for 5 hours. The splint stayed on for the 8 weeks due to the need to widen the palate extensively. Tell me will I ever be able to chew again?
May 8, 2014 at 9:17 am
Libby, your situations sounds identical to my own. I had a splint in for 7 weeks and was not able to bite through tough meat for another 3–4 weeks following that. You should be able to eat most cooked vegetables and pastas right now, but note that having your splint removed does not immediately replace the strength in your jaw. Think of it like having a cast on a broken bone: once the cast comes off, you still need to do physio and allow time for the strength to return since you haven’t used that part of your body for a while. You will absolutely be able to chew again, but it will take a few weeks for the strength in your jaw to return. The best thing you can do is start by eating softer foods, such as pasta, and work your way up from there. Avoid steak, liver, nuts, and hard vegetables for a little while longer. Good luck! =)
April 25, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Hi Graham,
I was wondering if the surgery will stop me from trying out for Varsity Cheerleading next year,i’m 17 and i talked to my coach she told me that i would be able to tryout because my surgery is in June and Cheerleading tryouts are in the Beginning of August.
I’m really nervous, I have to get Lower Jaw surgery cuz of my Underbite and i have periodontal gum disease.
May 5, 2014 at 3:34 pm
Shasha, if you have a full 2 months between your surgery and cheerleading tryouts, you should be okay. I would ask your surgeon just to make sure, though. =)
April 22, 2014 at 7:34 am
My orthodontist says that I’m now ready for surgery (after 800+ days of having braces). I have an appointment with my oral surgeon on May 1st to talk about my surgery plans. An all liquid diet just does not appeal to me at all and I’m starting to feel very nervous about the healing process and about looking different. I guess the majority of the worry comes from the fact that I’ve never had surgery before. I’m glad to know I’m not alone in this type of procedure. Everyone that I talk to about it has never even heard about it. They mainly think I’m doing it for cosmetic reasons, but I just want to chew, sleep, and breathe better. Thanks for sharing your experience Graham!
May 5, 2014 at 2:16 pm
Jaime, while there are thousands of people on this blog who have taken on this surgery, it is still a relatively unknown operation. That being said, my father had jaw surgery over 40 years ago, so it has quite a history. Try to find comfort in all of us who have emerged on the other side and are happy with our newfound ability to chew properly, breathe a little easier, and smile a little brighter. =)
April 15, 2014 at 7:41 am
Hi,
Can you tell me that after how many day will I be able to join my university or Job? means that I will be able to talk and do stuff
April 15, 2014 at 8:55 am
Haroon, you should be able to do everything except communicate clearly by the 3-week mark. If you need to speak clearly (to teach, for example), 6 weeks is likely a safer estimate. Hope you’re able to make this work! =)
April 5, 2014 at 3:11 am
Hi Graham, I am now 15 days post op after a double jaw surgery. I (like many of you) have had trouble sleeping due to the pins and needles feeling in my face, mainly lips and chin. I am wondering if anyone has found a way to relieve this feeling? I have pain medicine but I don’t really have much “pain” anymore, just the pins and needles and it doesn’t seem to help much with that. Since I’m up, I’ve been doing my googling, trying to find something that may help. I’m glad I found your page. I have read a lot of the comments but I think it would take me quite a while to get to all of them. Also, when I take my bands off to brush I noticed that when I open my mouth, my jaw goes back to it’s pre-surgery position and it kind of “slides” into place when I close. Has anyone else experienced this? I’m worried that the surgery didn’t completely “fix” me. Of course, I will bring this up to my surgeon at my next weekly appointment … I just noticed it yesterday. Any advice is appreciated!
April 5, 2014 at 11:44 am
Cherie, one thing I found that helped me sleep through the night was taking a hot pack, putting it in the microwave for 20–30 seconds, and then placing it on my face when I lay down. The heat soothed my nerves enough to let me get a restful sleep. Regarding your jaw “sliding” into place, it’s normal for your jaw to “float” until the bone fuses back together, so if you’re not experiencing any pain, there’s likely nothing to be worried about. If you notice it is still moving around in another 2–3 weeks, you may want to ask your surgeon to take an x-ray and ensure the bone is healing properly at that point. =)
March 25, 2014 at 4:30 am
I recently had my wires removed from jaw surgery and replaced with elastic rubber bands…but I noticed that I have still have a wire connected to back of my mouth…why is that and whats that for?
March 25, 2014 at 4:42 pm
Jeron, the only wire that was left in my mouth was a permanent one on the back of my bottom teeth to keep them aligned (called a permanent retainer). I’ve not heard of anyone else having permanent wires left in their mouth, so your best bet is to call your surgeon or orthodontist and ask them what its purpose is and if/when it will be removed.
March 24, 2014 at 4:38 pm
i had a double jaw surgery, and i was quite a ride, the pain was not bad but i vomited twice, but the vomitus went out through my teeth although i was totally wired
My main issue now is that i feel that my soft palate is sagging and that is not a cool feeling, my throat feels stuffed up all the time i am not sure if you had the same problem
March 25, 2014 at 1:31 pm
Safaa, if you had surgery on your upper jaw, the surgeon likely cut through your upper palette to make it either narrower or wider. Usually, they’ll wire in a plastic splint to maintain the form of your palette until the bone heals back together. If it feels like the roof of your mouth is “sagging,” you may want to give your surgeon a quick call to confirm that it’s an expected reaction. Let me know what you end up doing. =)
March 21, 2014 at 1:27 pm
I’m having surgery this December and I’m worried mostly about recognizing myself. You website has been great for putting all of my other fears to rest. I’m 23 and will be getting married four months after surgery, will I be used to my new jaw by then, and will I have gained my weight back so my wedding dress fits right? I will have had braces for a year when I have the surgery if that matters at all.
March 22, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Teryn, you should be back to normal after four months, so you need not worry. The aesthetic differences in your face will be fairly minute, you should be able to gain your weight back by then, and your swelling should be entirely non-existent at that point. Good luck with the surgery, and more importantly, enjoy your wedding!