Recovery Timeline

Following is a brief timeline of important events regarding recovery from double jaw surgery. If you only had a single jaw operated on, your recovery will be much quicker than this.

Keep in mind that every person recovers at a different pace, and also that every surgeon has their own agenda during the recovery process. This is simply the sequence of important events that took place during my personal recovery.

Day 0 (Surgery)

  • You’ll be eating/drinking through a syringe
  • You’ll be unable to sleep very much
  • You may be freezing all night long due to the ice packs wrapped around your face
  • You’ll feel extremely weak
  • You won’t be able to talk
  • You will drool constantly (but you’ll have the suction tube in the hospital to take care of that)
  • Lots of blood will be churning up inside your nose, mouth and throat
  • Your jaw will randomly spasm (and it will be painful)

Day 1

  • Swelling will begin

Day 3

  • Swelling will peak
  • Your bowels will start working again around this time

Day 5

  • Feeling will begin to return to parts of your face
  • Swelling will start to decrease

Day 7 (1 week)

  • You’ll be able to move your mouth a bit easier, so your talking will become more understandable
  • At your 1-week appointment, you’ll be able to brush your teeth, both inside and out (and it will feel amazing)

Day 10

  • Drooling won’t be as rampant any longer
  • You’ll regain slight control over your lips

Day 14 (2 weeks)

  • Most of the swelling will be gone
  • You’ll be able to start drinking from a cup (although it may be messy at first)
  • You can probably remove a few of the elastics clamping your teeth together, so talking will become infinitely more simple
  • Sleeping through the night should no longer be a problem

Day 15

  • Your elastics will start snapping daily, due to your rapid increase in speaking

Day 18

  • Your breath will become bearable again, due to the fact that you’ve been eating different foods and brushing more often

Day 21 (3 weeks)

  • Your energy will start to come back. Take advantage of it! Go for walks and take your bike out for a spin.

Day 22

  • You’ll be receiving substantial feeling back in your upper lip and cheeks. Your nose, lower lip and chin, however, will remain completely numb.

Day 28 (4 weeks)

  • Talking will hardly be an issue any longer. If you have a splint/bite plate in, you’ll sound ridiculous, but people will be able to understand you.
  • Your desire to be social and spend time with people will return in full force. Make sure you take advantage of it, and remember that your friends are not judging you.

Day 29

  • Feeling will begin to return to your lower lip and chin. That feeling will come in the form of pins and needles, but you’ll appreciate it regardless. If no feeling has returned to these parts yet, don’t worry. Surgeons say that it make take up to 90 days for feeling to begin coming back.

Day 31 (1 month)

  • If your elastics are off, you’ll be able to speak quite well by now
  • You won’t drool or spill any longer while eating

Day 32

  • You’ll have most of your normal energy back by now
  • You’ll begin to feel like you’re ready to take life on again. Be warned though: you’re not quite there yet. Give it another month before you go crazy.

Day 38

  • More patches of feeling will return to your chin and lower lip
  • You should no longer have to wear elastics during the day

Day 42 (6 weeks)

  • You should be able to drink through a straw quite easily by now

Day 45

  • Most of your stitches should have dissolved by now

Day 49 (7 weeks)

  • If you had a splint in, it should definitely be removed by now
  • Be prepared to readjust back into the world of orthodontics

Day 56 (8 weeks)

  • You should be able to eat with a small spoon or fork again
  • Licking your lips should be no problem at this point

Day 58

  • You’ll most likely be allowed to blow your nose again. Be gentle, though, because you don’t want to pop a blood vessel.

Day 70 (10 weeks)

  • If you haven’t been able to eat solid food yet, start now. Even if the task of eating involves mashing soft food up against the roof of your mouth, do it anyway. You’ll never gain your strength back on liquid alone.

Day 84 (12 weeks)

  • You should enjoy the freedom of eating just about anything you want by now
  • Consider practising whistling in order to break up the scar tissue that’s sure to be keeping your upper lip from enjoying its full range of motion

Day 90 (3 months)

  • Your three months have finally come to an end! Enjoy eating, breathing and smiling to their full effect.
  • Changes will be fairly slow from this point forward. The results you find yourself with at the 6-month mark will most likely be the results you’ll live with for the rest of your life.

Want to connect with other jaw heroes?

Recovering from jaw surgery can be lonely. That's why many of us hang out in a Facebook group where we support each other leading up to surgery and during recovery. There are hundreds of people from all over the world chatting right now and it's free to join.

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(example of a recent conversation)

1740 Comments

  1. I have known I need Orthognathic Surgery for a while now, I have my appointment to get braces back on again next month. I had braces from 4-7th grade and wore a retainer for a year constantly and two years at night. I am now a college freshman and will be getting braces again for approx. 10 mon for minor corrections before op. I have a severe underbite. I also am terrified of both hospitals and op, but have no problem with pain or care much how I will or do look. Any advice for me as I start this long journey?

    • Kallie, it sounds like you’re a veteran when it comes to braces, sheesh! My only advice for revisiting this journey is to remember that as soon as the surgery and recovery are over this time, you’ll truly be finished with this ordeal. In my opinion, the surgery is totally worthwhile and the benefits far outweigh the cost. Let me know when your surgery date is near! =)

  2. hi, i got upper jaw surgery 2 months ago. I feel like my jaw moved just a little to the left and now my teeth on the right side come in contact first. It’s not that much at all, but is it a problem? Is that something my orthodontist can fix? I have an appointment with him in 4 days, so i’m just thinking of seeing with him

    • Alen, your orthodontist can generally align your teeth properly with your braces in the 6–12 months following surgery. However, it sounds more like you have an open bite at the moment. Since your teeth will keep growing until they encounter opposition (in the form of your other teeth), this should take care of itself over the next few months. If you have concerns, it never hurts to ask both your surgeon and orthodontist at your next visit with each of them. =)

  3. This blog is a blessing, helping me through the tougher times.I am now 8 days pre op and I am regaining a significant amount of feeling and swelling has already reduced a nice amount, however the swelling of the lips, which is the most inconvenient, is still a pain. How long did it take for this to subside for you, or reduce a good amount?

    • Jack, my lips were quite swollen for about 6 weeks, sadly. They were painful (from cracking) for the first 3 weeks and then they just kind of got in the way for another 3 weeks after that. By the 7th week, they were no longer bothering me. =)

  4. Hi Graham,

    Thanks for replying.

    I’ve clarified with my Surgeons too. Well & they say it’s pretty normal, but i am so uneasy with it not clenching at the back 🙁

    How long did yours take, for the back molars of your teeth to touch? 🙂

    Thanks,
    Jeremy

    • Jeremy, I’m glad your surgeon gave you some reassurance. It takes a while for your teeth to start touching again, so don’t be discouraged if it seems to be taking forever. Me teeth grew back together after around 6 months, if I remember correctly. I was able to stick my teeth between them while closed right after surgery, so I thought I was hopeless!

  5. Hi everyone

    I just had a lower jaw surgery recently to correct my underbite, and well, it has been 7 days so far, and everything is going smoothly.Well not till i realized the back molar of my teeth doesn’t touch, when i clench my bite together. Is it a cause to worry? & it is putting alot of pressure on my front teethes because that is the only point where my bite meets.

    Did my surgeons not align my jaw properly when they were doing the surgery?

    Thanks,

    Jeremy

    • Jeremy, this is called an “open bite.” I had one following surgery as well. Your teeth will naturally keep growing until they encounter opposition (ie. your other teeth), so your bite should close itself over the next 3–6 months. =)

  6. Hey I just want to ask if you ever felt like your splint was moving when you tried to swallow, because my splint feels weird, I’m on my 10th day by the way

    • Brian, your splint is wired into your braces, so I wouldn’t worry about it moving. As long as your teeth are in the grooves in the splint, you have nothing to worry about. =)

  7. Hello, i just wanted to update you on my situation. I asked my surgeon why my jaw still moves up and down a few millimeters. He checked, pushed and pulled my jaw a little bit to test it. He said it’s normal, and I asked him how long it takes for the upper jaw to heal so it doesn’t move at all when pulled down and such, and he said around half a year. So i’m relieved, and i can finally eat hard food and work out again 😀

  8. Hi Graham..
    Thank you so much for this site! I am starting the second leg of what I call the ‘Journey of my Jaws”. In 2011 I had a Surgically Assisted Rapid Expansion (SARPE). I recovered well, all things considered since I am 57

    • Tracey, props to you for toughing it out for yet another surgery. I’ve met a few people who underwent SARPE surgery prior to jaw surgery and came out on the other side smiling. You’re stronger than I, my friend!

  9. Also no matter how much I drink I have a dry mouth, any advice for this?

  10. Had my surgery yesterday on both jaws, had a recorrection of 14mm (one of the more extreme cases as I have heard). The swelling is already fairly bad and swallowing is a massive pain, however the numbness and tingling and constant dribbling are the most annoying. Any tips on reducing these and more importantly, on how to sleep through the problem!? Thanks

    • Jack, these are the unfortunate frustrations you must battle through during the first couple weeks of recovery. There is not really any solution to any of these nuisances. Placing a hot pack on your face at night may help you sleep, but the dry mouth, drooling, and pain while swallowing are things you just need to weather for the first 2 weeks. I promise these things will correct themselves shortly after that. =)

  11. Hi again, i’m on my 9th week of recovery, and it’s just so frustrating that my upper jaw keeps moving down slowly, unless i keep my mouth closed (teeth together). I will call my surgeon tomorrow to ask what i should do because my next appointment is in a month, and my orthodontist appointment is next week. My surgeon and my orthodontist said my teeth look great and jaw looks beautiful, but i’m worried it won’t heal. Is it possible to heal later, even if it doesn’t heal within 2 months? i’m just real worried, and hope i don’t have to get another surgery 🙁

    • Dino, since I don’t fully understand your situation, it’s difficult for me to say whether what you’re experiencing is normal or something to worry about. Generally, people worry more than they should about the recovery process, but definitely ask your surgeon and let me know what they say. Best of luck!

  12. I’m having double jaw sugery next Wednesday. This blog has been great to help calm my nerves and gather as much information about it before I have it done next week! Thank you 🙂

  13. well almost 2 months. i have noticed that my jaw is not as loose as before, it’s better now, but not so much that it doesn’t move anymore

  14. i have a similar problem like dino. After eating, the front part of my upper jaw seems to move down a bit, then my front teeth come in contact first, instead of a normal bite. i know it has moved down, because i can make my jaw go back up by biting down a little harder. i keep my mouth closed for a while after eating, so it goes back to its normal position, is that ok or shoukd i not do that?

    • Alex, how long has it been since you had surgery? If you’re still in the first 2 weeks, I wouldn’t worry about it. However, if more than 2 weeks have passed, I would give your surgeon a call and ask their opinion on the fact that your jaw seems to be floating.

  15. Hello 🙂

    1. When can I start using my Sonicare electric toothbrush to brush the outer parts of my teeth? When is it safe to start brushing with a baby toothbrush the insides of the teeth and the molars? When will I be able to open my mouth wide enough to do so?

    2. When can I start hitting the gym/cardio classes/lifting weights?

    3. When do I start talking normally like before..not like a 3 year old? 😉 Is it because of my jaw not being able to open wider than normal or due to my elastics?

    Many thanks, Graham! LOVE this blog.

    • LC, to answer your questions:

      1) I would avoid using an electric toothbrush for at least 6 weeks, simply because your gums will be quite sensitive. You should be able to start using a children’s toothbrush within a couple weeks of surgery. Just remember to brush gently.

      2) I started lifting weights again at 6 weeks post-op. Again, be careful not to over-exert yourself because you don’t want to put excess pressure on your face. Start lighter than you lifted before.

      3) The rest your speech is affected is because of both swelling and the new orientation of your jaw. You’ll overcome both of these impediments in 6–8 weeks, but you’ll notice forward progress nearly every day from the 2nd week onward.

      Stay strong and all the best! =)

  16. i just got upper jaw surgery over a month ago, and i was just wondering how long it takes for my bones to heal (join together), so they stay in one position and not move?

    • Mikey, it takes a full 3 months for your bone to fuse back together, but your jaw should stop moving around within 2 months. So you’ve still got a few weeks to go, my friend!

  17. Thanks Graham 🙂

    i have an appointment with my orthodontist so he can start with whatever he wants to do, so i shouldn’t worry about him putting too much pressure on my jaw, it shouldn’t move a lot, since the plates are pretty strong right?

    1 more wuestion. Do you mean the floating should stop 4-6 weeks from now, or from the surgery, because i’m on my 8th week now. Thanks 🙂

    • Dino, if you’re already 8 weeks into recovery, your jaw should be pretty solid. I’d ask your surgeon why it feels like it’s still moving.

  18. Hello, i would really like for someone to help me. I live in Germany, and i got upper jaw surgery 7 weeks ago (july 25). I have plates that are held by screws, so all that holds my jaw in place. Around how long does it take for my jaw to heal to the point to which it won’t move if i apply froce from the top or sides? I feel like there’s something wrong, because after every meal, it seems that the front part of the jaw moves down a little, then i have to keep my bottom and top teeth together for it to go back to the original position. If someone knows if this is normal or not, please let me know. I can’t seem to find an answer anywhere. Thank you.

    • Dino, it’s normal for your jaw to “float” for the first month of recovery because your bone has not yet fused back together. This should stop in approximately 4–6 weeks. However, if you need professional reassurance, I’d encourage you to call your surgeon and ask them. =)

  19. Well I pretty much answered all my questions after spending the evening reading your amazing day by day blogs of your recovery process. I was not expecting most of what I read and the doctor sure hasn’t mentioned most of that but so good to know. I am going to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I’m so glad I read it all and I will save the pages so I can go back and read the daily posts again when I am having a hard time pushing through. Thank you Graham
    PS- you are a great writer, maybe you’ve found your niche.

  20. I’m having a double jaw surgery Dec 12th for my overbite, 37 years old (yikes). I’ve wanted to do this since I was a teenager. Finally!!! I’m nervous about the healing process but excited about the results coming. I need your help to help prepare. I have 8 year old twin boys, my husband cannot take time off work in Dec, infact he’ll be working 10-12 hr days so it’s up to my mom and mother-inlaw to take care of me and help with the kids. What do you suggest I eat from the syringe the first 2 weeks? What are your suggestions for the few weeks following that to eat or how to eat? I want to get everything ready before.

    • Tami, if you have both your mother and mother-in-law helping you out, you’ll do fine. I would eat liquid-only soups (tomato, chicken broth, etc.) and smoothies for the first few weeks and then graduate to blending Chunky soups after that. You’re still young enough that your body should heal quickly, so your recovery will likely go a little more quickly than mine (since I haven’t yet met anyone who took as long to recover as me). =)

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