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.

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1740 Comments

  1. Hey Graham and crew,

    I had a double jaw and chin surgery done on February 3 so I’m into 6 weeks post op. Not exactly the best 6 weeks of my life but I did have my first steak on the weekend and am almost eating normally now. Lost a total of 20 pounds but have gained it all back as well as most of my strength. Feeling in my face gets better every day and as much as it sucks…it wasn’t too bad. HOWEVER…the only one thing that I am concerned about is the nasal and sinus issues. Did you or ahs anyone had these issues. One side is still completely blocked and advance apologies for the graphic nature but I am “extracting” things from my nasal and sinus areas on a constant basis that don’t seem human. Anyone else been down this road?

    • Brendan, happy to hear you already had the privilege of eating a steak, wow! As for the sinus troubles, mine were cleared up by the 6-week mark. It sounds like you have some sort of infection from the description you gave, so you might just need some antibiotics to clear it up. I recommend you talk to your surgeon and ask for a prescription. Good luck!

  2. The surgeon was talking about the 28th of May for the operation when I saw him yesterday. For the rest of the day, I was so excited about it! Literally bouncing up and down with joy! But I’m in bed now, losing sleep over every little thing. “Oh no, I’m going to be vomiting, drooling blood everywhere! My face is going to be so numb. I won’t be able to talk or smile or laugh. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to look like the elephant man.” I’m trying to put it out of my mind, but it is so hard not to think about it. Just need reassurance right now, I think :/

    • Beth, I encourage you to focus on the fact that by August 28, you’ll be fully recovered with a new smile. The idea of surgery can be unsettling, but it is a short-term recovery with long-term gains. You’ll do great! =)

  3. Hi Graham,

    I have been reading your blog for several weeks now and just wanted to say thank you for keeping it up after all this time. I feel like I have a better idea of what to expect after reading about your experiences. I am about 3 and a half weeks past double jaw surgery myself and it seems like my recovery has been very similar to yours.

    It has been a struggle to keep a positive attitude at times but I think your blog has really helped in that regard. Now if only the days would move faster!

    • Rebecca, at three and a half weeks into recovery, you’re already well on your way back to normal life. You’ll be feasting soon! =)

  4. Hi Graham,
    Read thru your blog and can feel hopes again.
    I was so desperate after seeing my dentist yesterday due to the adjustment placed on my teeth. Dentist said my jaw has moved a bit to the left so he actually used elastic band to fix my teeth. Most importantly, this adjustment has caused my half right part of face pain. I wonder if u guys have any ways to solve the problem of jaw moving?

    Besides that, im still afraid of having any foods other than liquids by now. This morning i felt very weak and got fainted then fell from staircase. Currently im still having body sore and bruises all over my body. So im asking any recipes you guys willing to share so i dont have to suffer from starving anymore

    • Elisa, if your jaw is shifting, I think the most common solution is to use elastics to hold it in place until it heals properly. Surgeons generally over-correct your jaw during the operation to allow for it to shift back slightly. If you’re still in the first 6 weeks of recovery, this probably isn’t a huge problem, but if you’re in the later stages of recovery, you may want to call your surgeon and ask their thoughts on the fact that your jaw is still shifting. Never hurts to talk to the doctor! =)

  5. That doesn`t sound too bad. Thanks a lot Graham, I’ll definitely be checking here once i get my surgery done.

  6. Hey Graham, im getting scheduled for an orthognatic surgery soon and i was wondering if you could give a rough estimate on how long it would take to get back into physical activity (running, working out, etc).

    • Victor, it took me approximately 6 weeks to get back to lifting weights and 10 weeks before I had the strength and energy to run again. Like many things, let your pain and energy be your guide.

  7. HI Graham, So im scheduled to have my double jaw surgery on This Thursday… I am given myself 1 mth to be off from work for recovery time. is that wise?? after reading your blog im a bit nervous. Also Im getting married at the end of may so after reading this it seens like my face wont be back to normal. i think i should reschedule 🙁

    • Yenthl, taking one month off work should be okay. If you speak heavily at your job (ie. teacher, politician, etc.), you may want to give yourself six weeks, but outside of those professions, you have nothing to worry about.

      As for being married at the end of May, you’ll be in good form for that. Given a full four months, your speech will be back, your swelling will be mostly gone, your energy will have returned, and you’ll be eating almost everything again (with the exception of tough steaks and nuts). So fear not and enjoy beginning life anew in May!

  8. I am on day 34. I regained all the feeling back on my right side around week 2. Wish I could say the same for left side. Still have numbness but slowing getting more feeling. I am just starting to get the feeling back in my pallet. It just takes time. I have had a lot of sharp pain in my left joint, ear and temple as well. My surgeon filed down a tooth to make me bite more evenly and that releaved some of the stress, but I still have pain of left side. Right side is fabulous. We all hear different and even different on each side of our face so be patient. I would have to say it is worth it if I am willing to go through it a second time after 20+ years.

    • Terri, that’s great to hear that you’re regaining feeling after only 2 weeks—that’s early! I hope your pain is resolved soon so you can rest easy once again. =)

  9. Aww thanks so much Graham you’ve put my mind at ease hopefully my outcome will be as good as yours : )

  10. Hi Graham!

    Thanks for the response! I just started my soft food diet today! I was so excited at first but then figured out how hard it is to eat even the softest food. I was almost discouraged lol I’m relearning how to bite and chew again. Wish me luck! 🙂

  11. Hey Cromwell, I’m only full day 6 post-op so I can’t be of much help, but I will try to remember to ask my surgeon the question when I go in for my next appointment Thursday morning.

  12. I know Graham has already answered me on this, but I thought to throw it to everyone who had this experience): Palate (roof of mouth) numbness. Can anyone pls. comment on this? My palate is completely numb; thus, my top teeth are also numb. I can’t feel anything when I am brushing my teeth. I am on day 26 post op. Any feedback would be appreciated. And Graham, thank you once again. To be honest, I feel like you know more answers than any of the surgeons as I presume most of them have not undergone this procedure.

  13. @Lyn Merryfeather – Hi Lyn, I was reading your post about the numbness. I am on day 26 post op. I think I have the same issues you did. My palate is numb so I don’t feel my top teeth. Also, there’s that weird feeling of your palate being pushed to the top. Did you ever get your feeling back on the palate? My current condition is that I have feeling now on my cheeks, nose, and jaw. I have sensation on my lower lip. About 80% of my chin is numb. So, my palate and chin are basically numb. Let me know how your progress has come along. Thank you. Cromwell

  14. Hi again, Graham,

    I’m on my day 24 and I’ve been having pain at the base of my right jaw, near my right ear. The pain is like when you were punched in the jaw and the pain lingers. It has been like this for 2 days now and I wonder if this is normal..

    • Karina, I’m honestly not sure if your pain is expected or not. It could be related to sleeping on that side of your face (thereby putting pressure on it for an extended period of time). Another common behaviour leading to “random” pain is the act of speaking more than usual, as this exercises the muscles in your jaw.

      If the pain is bothering you for more than a few days, I recommend calling your surgeon just so they’re aware. Best of luck! =)

  15. Posted here when I had my op back in September, just a post of reassurance and the rest to those who are worrying about the post and pre effects of the operation… I’m now nearly 120 days in and I have regained near perfect speech, all my feeling has come back now and I look better than ever! This blog is the perfect timeline to keep you level headed and realistic about the after effects and the recovery, and trust me, the end result is so worth it that you’ll be wondering why you were ever worried about it

  16. Hi there im 23 and have been told I’m getting braces and will require surgery as I have a open bite i don’t know anybody else who needs or has jaw surgery but I’ve a lot of horror stories i’m kind of freaking out I came across your blog and I love it, i just wanted to ask has your face changed in anyway good or bad? And how is the numbess? Are you still experiencing it? Thank you so much 😉 xxx

    • Jacqueline, my appearance is generally the same as before surgery except that my jawline has a slightly different shape. Only my close friends and family noticed the change, though, as it’s quite subtle.

      As for numbness, I have a few small permanently numb patches in my lower lip, but I honestly don’t notice them anymore. They just feel like you’re a little bit frozen sometimes. I still think the surgery is well worth the trouble. =)

  17. Also i ws wondering how you breathe because they say most ppl get there nose stuffed and covered with gauze and your mouth is swolen and your lips dont move also did any of you have to have a drainaga tube?

    • Sierra, I personally think the surgery is well worth it if you’re having trouble breathing, speaking, chewing, or sleeping. The recovery only lasts a few months and then you get to enjoy the benefits for the rest of your life.

      As for feeling, there’s a 30% chance you’ll be left with permanent numbness in small parts of your face, but you quickly adjust to these patches and won’t even notice them after a few months.

      And to breathe easy, you simply need to remain calm. If you panic, you’ll find it difficult to take enough oxygen in during the initial 2 weeks, however if you’re calm and collected, you shouldn’t have any trouble.

      All in all, you’ll get through this if you decide to go through with the surgery. =)

  18. I have to get double jaw surgery in about a month andim really scared i cant even sleep at night is it really worth it? And how common is it to loose feeling in your lips ?and whaft are some things i could use to help swelling and bruising?

  19. I had my surgery on Dec 19, 2013 so I’m on my 3rd week now. It seems like my doctor is using a different method because both my upper and lower teeth were wired shut for the first two weeks with a plastic bite (a splint?) in between them. Just this past Monday they took out the plastic bite but my upper and lower teeth are still shut with rubber bands so I don’t know how different your timeline will be from mine. But when did you start your soft food diet? I can’t wait for my first post-op mashed potatoes lol

    • Karina, your experience actually sounds nearly identical to mine. I also had my teeth held shut with a splint for the first 2 weeks, then with elastics for the next 5 weeks. I wasn’t able to start eating soft food until my 8th week, but most people start eating soft food near the end of their first month or recovery. You’ll have to wait for your surgeon’s approval on that one, though. =)

  20. Graham, did you ever have trouble speaking as in having a sensitive feeling on your teeth while speaking or not being able to pronounce some words around 3 or 4 months after surgery?

    • Christopher, I didn’t have any issues speaking that far along into my recovery. It could be related to scar tissue preventing certain movements, and this can usually be tackled by chewing gum all day (to strength the muscles in your jaw) and by whistling (to break up the scar tissue). =)

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