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.
February 21, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Hi Graham,
Your blog has helped me so much! So thank you. Im currently 5 weeks post surgery (yay!) And I think I’m healing quite well, most of my feeling has returned except for my lower lip and chin. My swelling is reducing too which I’m so happy with! My question is, is it normal for your gums to be numb? Mostly on my top and if so when will this get better? Also I’ve heard stories of people losing their teeth, is no feeling in my gums a sign of that?
February 21, 2016 at 6:25 pm
Hello
I am 8 weeks out from surgery and my upper teeth/gums and roof of my mouth are numb still. Has anyone else had this issue and had it come back ?
February 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm
Hi Yusraa, it is normal for your gums to still feel numb at the 5-week mark. This is likely directly related to your nerves taking a bit longer to heal. If you have no feeling by the 8-week mark, I would ask your surgeon for their thoughts.
I haven’t met anyone whose teeth have fallen out as a result of this surgery, so it’s possible those stories have been made up. Maybe the Internet is trying to scare you! 😮
February 21, 2016 at 11:36 am
Im scheduled to have double jaw surgery on Feb 26th. Thank you for helping out with expectations and a timeline. I am so anxious! I plan to take 4 weeks off work. Im curious if anyone has tried other methods to aide in healing. I heard a red light can do wonders for healing wounds. Has anyone tried it?
February 21, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Hi Karen, glad you’re finding the blog useful! As far as I know, the most important part of the healing process is simply practicing patience, striving to get enough water and calories in your body each day, and resting. Perhaps someone else will be able to share some other recovery tricks, though!
February 18, 2016 at 4:42 pm
It’s been 7 months since I had lower jaw surgery and I still have a hard time eating hard raw vegetables, as well as thicker breads like baguettes or pizza crust. I feel a lot of pressure when I try to bite down on these types of foods or will feel a popping sensation and occasional stiffness still. Is this normal 7 months in? I feel like my jaw is still so fragile when it comes to harder foods.
February 18, 2016 at 7:37 pm
Hi Colleen, I think you should be completely back to normal by now. The good news is that the actual bone in your jaw should be fused back together, so I don’t think you need to worry about doing any damage. However, it’s possible your muscles are recovering slowly.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any advice on the matter. Have you tried giving your surgeon or orthodontist a call to ask if the pressure is an indication of any problems?
February 18, 2016 at 12:43 pm
I had my surgery on February 1st and I have to say I have had one heck of a time. I had the upper jaw surgery so I have the plate in my mouth which makes it very hard to eat or speak. I have already lost a total of 14lbs. I am beginning to feel better at times. The biggest problem that I am having is my ears. Can anybody help me with that? I feel as if they need to pop. When I tilt my head down I get a little relief but as soon as I come back up it starts all over again. I can’t stand not being able to hear.
February 18, 2016 at 7:35 pm
Hi Stephane, “plugged” ears are certainly frustrating. I found it difficult to pop my ears as well because I could not chew gum and yawning was quite painful. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any method that actually worked beyond just suffering through the discomfort.
Was anyone else able to solve the ear-popping problem? 😄
February 21, 2016 at 5:55 pm
How long did you have to deal with it? Do you remember? I am so tired of having to ask people to repeat things as I am sure they are tired of having too.
I just want to say thanks for your blog. I look at it almost daily to see if I have the same process as you. Your days give me something to look forward too. Today I am on day 21 and I am about on schedule. Lol.
February 18, 2016 at 8:54 am
Hi Graham (& all),
Thank you so much for this timeline and all of the information you’ve shared. It has really helped me to prepare for my surgery. I was scheduled for jaw surgery February 29th, however, I was just informed that my surgeon had emergency surgery and won’t be back until the end of March. Therefore, my surgery has been rescheduled to March 28th. Normally, this would only be a slight inconvenience given that my job is already very flexible. However, my biggest concern is that I am in a family wedding on May 7th, six weeks after my rescheduled surgery. I can see by your timeline that I will have to miss out on the delicious food and cake, but I’m worried that I won’t be able to enjoy myself. From your experience, were you up for a party at six weeks? Just trying to gain a better idea and perspective.
Thanks so much,
Claudia
February 18, 2016 at 7:32 pm
Hi Claudia, you’ll be able to attend the wedding and should be able to speak fairly clearly after 6 weeks of recovery, but as you mentioned, you may have to skip on most of the food. Your energy levels should be returning to normal by that point, so the biggest inconvenience may actually be your swelling. Overall, I think you’ll be able to enjoy yourself — the photos just may not be your favorites. 😊
February 22, 2016 at 10:41 am
Thanks for the reply! Good to know.
Ha! I’m already camera shy, especially now with my braces, so pictures are the least of my worries. 🙂
February 19, 2016 at 7:43 am
Hello,
I actually went to a wedding two weeks after double jaw surgery. I had a good time, although pictures weren’t very good cause I was really swollen 🙂 But at six weeks, I was eating a lot of normal food. You should be able to eat cake and soft things. Good luck!
February 22, 2016 at 10:42 am
Thanks, Haleigh! If you can do it at two weeks, I’m sure I can manage six. This makes me feel so much better.
February 17, 2016 at 6:13 pm
It’s been 3 months since double jaw surgery and I still can only open my mouth 2 fingers wide. Also there is like a weird sound the right side of my jaw makes when I open it. It’s not a pop though. My jaw used to pop all the time. Also I still have some trouble with eating hard foods. I look normal though. But I’m just worried…
February 18, 2016 at 3:54 am
Hi Melanie, if you’re having difficulty opening your mouth wide after 3 months of recovery, I recommend doing some exercises to help rebuild the strength and elasticity of the muscles around your jaw. Try chewing gum for a few hours each day to rebuild your strength and try whistling for 5 minutes a few times each day to break up scar tissue in your face. You will regain your former range of motion, but you may have to commit to these exercises to do so. Good luck!
February 16, 2016 at 8:03 pm
I have my jaw surgery in april . I am very nervous about being sick. I recently went into hospital for an unrelated surgery and had a really bad reaction to the anesthetic and no amount of anti sickness would stop me throwing up every two hours. Im worried that i wont be able to get any sick out if i am having double jaw surgery and i might choke on it?.
February 16, 2016 at 11:43 pm
I have bad luck with certain meds and getting nauseous. This surgeon suggested using a Scopolamine patch behind my ear. They put it on right before surgery and it’s good for 72 hours. It worked pretty well for me. Might be worth talking to your surgeon about. Good luck!
February 17, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Hi Jade, it is normal enough for people to vomit for a day or two after having this surgery, so you won’t be the first. I did not vomit myself, so I cannot relate, but people who did throw up said it was not as bad as they anticipated. If you throw up, it will find a way out and the nurses will be by your side to help you clear your mouth. As a note of encouragement, I have never heard of anyone choking on their vomit following this surgery, so it will only be an uncomfortable experience at worst. Hope this provides a bit of comfort for you!
February 15, 2016 at 10:25 am
Wassup everyone! Im having an underbite jaw surgery on March 11th. So far I’ve been practicing with my sister and her friends for her 15, coming up on April 23rd. Would I still manage to continue to practice with her and come out on her 15 party that day? Or should I just stop practicing with them now?
February 15, 2016 at 8:25 pm
Hi Ivan, what exactly are you practicing? By April 23, you should be able to eat soft foods, speak reasonably clearly, and enjoy a party, but if you’re practicing a song or something similar, I doubt you will be able to sing clearly as you will still be quite swollen. Hope this helps!
February 16, 2016 at 9:26 pm
It’s a dance routine we have to do. Well it’s different varieties of dances we’re gonna do, im not sure if I’ll be able to do them by April 23. Do you think I’ll be recovered in time to practice for that date? Yes thank you it did help me
February 17, 2016 at 6:07 pm
Ah, a dance routine. If I recall correctly, I returned to the gym at the 6-week mark, but my energy was still a bit low. I think you should be okay to participate in the dance, however you might not be able to practice for the first month after surgery. Whether you’ll be able to catch up and learn the routine in the 2 weeks before it happens will have to be your call. Hope this helps!
February 12, 2016 at 9:30 pm
I am getting jaw surgery Feb 15 2016. I am so nervous!
I agreed to pet sit for someone next weekend too.. Did you have trouble moving around the first week? I can’t say no since she will be out of the country and counting on me.. 🙁
February 13, 2016 at 8:34 am
I had surgery on a Monday and by Saturday I was taking short walks outside. I felt a lot better once I started getting up and walking around, even if it was just around the house.
February 13, 2016 at 7:05 pm
Hi Jenny, you should be okay to move about and care for a pet by your third day of recovery, so as Haleigh mentioned, this should be no problem. 🐶
February 14, 2016 at 5:18 pm
It has been about three and a half weeks since my jaw surgery and the recovery has been going pretty well. The swelling has been going down everyday but today I noticed my cheeks looked a little more swollen then they did yesterday. Is it normal for swelling to suddenly increase three weeks after surgery? Could it have been caused by me sleeping on my side instead of on my back?
February 12, 2016 at 11:19 am
i had lower jaw surgery n it has been almost 2 months everything is fine….but my orthodontist has given me to wear a chin cap so the jaw wich us operated does not get relapsed again…..i have to wear dat chin cap almost for a year and 6-8 hours per day….are the chances high of relapse of jaw?
February 12, 2016 at 6:39 pm
Hi Arman, this is actually the first time I’ve heard a surgeon warn against a jaw relapsing. Since cadaver bone is usually added in places where a person’s jaw is extended, I didn’t think relapse was a possibility. If you want a second opinion, maybe give your surgeon a call and ask if they’ve ever had patients wear a chin cap before. 😊
February 11, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Graham,
Your writing is not only very clean but it has helped me prepare for my double jaw surgery later this year. This is the best up-to-date blog I’ve seen and will read it when my day comes. I too have a class 3 underbite that will require surgery. Here are somethings I’d like you to elaborate on. Could you please do that for myself and other readers? (P.S. I’ve had my braces on for 6 months and my teeth are already straight! Wow!)
1) Catheter: Is this necessary? When will you not be able to get up and use the bathroom on your own power? One of my grandparents was an amputee and had a medically designed urinal bucket to use because he couldn’t walk. Is this an option?
2) Puking: I’ve read other blog posts/watched YouTube videos where patients say that they swallow so much blood during surgery that they are puking the next morning. Did this happen to you? I’ve already told my surgeon to take extreme circumstances to prevent this from happening. I can’t imagine puking with my mouth shut.
3) Meds: What were your post-op prescriptions? I ask because of the current opioid addiction running rapid in the U.S. 80% of all heroin cases start with over medicated drugs like Oxycontin, etc. Just want to be on the safe side.
4)If you did this over again would you prepare in a different manner?
Thanks again for this HUGE contribution to the Class 3 underbite community.
February 11, 2016 at 5:35 pm
Hi Craig,
Isn’t it awesome how quickly braces straighten your teeth out? I remember being surprised by that as well!
1) Catheter: I actually wasn’t even aware I’d be receiving a catheter, so I didn’t learn about it until I asked the nurse why it was stinging each time I urinated after surgery. The surgeon will usually remove the catheter before you even wake up, so there’s a good chance the only way you’ll know you had one is if it stings when you pee for the first day or two afterwards. I believe catheters are used at the discretion of the surgeon, though they are common for this surgery because it takes several hours to complete.
2) Puking: Luckily, I did not vomit after surgery, though I did have an upset stomach. The nurses gave me some medicine to settle my stomach and that did the job. However, vomiting is a common occurrence during the first couple of days after surgery and despite being banded shut, the vomit will still come out, so you definitely do not need to fret about choking on it or swallowing it or anything like that. I’m sure your nurses will give you medicine to try and prevent this as best they can.
3) Medicine: You can see a list of the medication I was taking after surgery here.
4) Preparation: If I were to take on this surgery again, the only thing I’d do differently is bring a small whiteboard and marker to the hospital with me so I could communicate with nurses and visitors for the first few days. You’ll likely be unable to speak at first due to swelling and being banded shut, so writing will be your best method of communication. Other than that, just be prepared to subsist on Ensure and soups with no solids (eg. chicken broth, tomato soup, etc.) and you should be good to go.
Hope this helps! Any idea when you’ll be having the surgery?
February 11, 2016 at 6:15 pm
It did. Except for the vomiting part. I have no issue with actual vomiting I’d just prefer to skip that step (as I’m sure most would too). If it does happen so be it. I do not have a set date yet. I was told the surgery would happen at the 1 year mark. However, I just had a molding done yesterday and the clay model is almost dead on straight. I’m not sure if that’s enough to sway my surgeon but who knows. When did you get the green light?
P.S. I think the tube they stuck down your nose is what prevented vomiting. It sucks up that stuff right?
February 12, 2016 at 6:29 pm
My surgeon based my operation date on how long I’d been wearing braces for. I think they usually like you to wear braces for about a year before having the surgery.
A vacuum tube is usually provided after the surgery for you to clear your mouth a bit (similar to how it’s done at a dental clinic). However, nausea and vomiting are more tied to how much blood and other unmentionable fluid you swallow because these things upset your stomach. The majority of people do not vomit, so the odds are actually in your favor.
February 10, 2016 at 11:25 am
hi everyone, it is to ask that is there anyone from Pakistan ? if there is anyone kindly do share your experience and also share from which city of Pakistan they had their surgery ? Kindly recommend a hospital and surgeon to me as i wanna opt surgery .Kindly do share with me please please i will be thankful …. 🙂
February 14, 2016 at 9:49 am
i’m from pakistan and im also looking for someone who knows something about this if u came to know then plz letme know too i’ll be thankful 🙂
February 8, 2016 at 12:44 am
Hi, my son had his double jaw op and wisdom teeth removed on 3rd October 2015. (so just over 4 months ago). He has been eating and drinking normal for some time now and braces were taken off in middle of December. My concern is his face is still swollen especially his cheeks and in the area below his nose above his upper lip. Is this normal? Thanks
February 9, 2016 at 2:43 am
Hi Mary, it’s normal to be swollen until about the 4-month mark, but the residual swelling should not be anything really noticeable. If he stills appears quite swollen, it’s possible his body is reacting negatively to the titanium plates and screws added during surgery. It is not uncommon for people to require these items to be removed several months after surgery, so you may want to call the surgeon’s office and ask for their thoughts.
As a follow-up to your question, does your son have his full range of motion back in his jaw?
February 9, 2016 at 6:14 am
Hi, thanks for your reply. He flew through the healing process. Pain subsided quickly, all feeling back, full range of movement of jaw, eating etc. Just like he was before the surgery. Just the swelling above upper lip and cheeks.
February 9, 2016 at 6:41 pm
If your son healed up nicely in all other areas, this residual swelling is likely nothing to worry about. However, for some peace of mind, you may want to call your surgeon to ask if there are any common reasons for still being noticeably swollen at this point. Good luck! 😊
February 6, 2016 at 7:34 am
Hi guys,
So I’m 3 weeks post surgery, a lot of my swelling has gone down but it’s still noticeable and more on the right side. Is it normal for one side to heal slower then the other?
February 6, 2016 at 5:20 pm
Hi Yusraa, having disproportionate swelling is perfectly normal, especially this early in the recovery. Many people experience uneven swelling for up to 3 months. The fact that you are noticing that your swelling decreasing is a good sign, though! 😊
February 4, 2016 at 11:17 am
Hi all! I’m 3 weeks post op today and I was finally given the go ahead to start eating soft food. I was excited, as you can imagine. The thing is, although my swelling has decreased dramatically since the early days of recovery, I am still fairly swollen and I’m certain my palate is swollen right behind my front teeth. Also at this stage I’m only able to fit one finger between my teeth so eating proved to be quite the struggle and wasn’t enjoyable at all. Should I just stick to liquids for another week and then try again, or should I just keep challenging myself?
February 5, 2016 at 10:35 pm
Georgina, I would try to start drinking thicker smoothies and eating foods such as mashed potatoes and macaroni. Chewing may still increase your swelling each day, but it will also help strengthen the muscles in your jaw. Basically, let your pain be your guide. If chewing or opening your mouth too wide hurts, then try to avoid doing so. If it does not hurt, continue to try eating soft foods nice and slowly. This will all be much easier in about a month, I promise!
February 3, 2016 at 5:02 pm
I would love to know more experiences!!
I am getting this surgery in 4 weeks times, double jaw surgery, upper jaw moved forward, and straightened, lower jaw moved back and rotated! How long before going back to work and feeling human again?? I’ve got a 6 month old baby!!!
February 4, 2016 at 12:16 am
Sarah
I wish you all the best. I did exactly what you are doing! The more informed you are the less nervously will be. You will also feel better prepared which will make you go into it with a positive attitude which I think is key!
Some small tips that I learned from other and as I went along.
– Depending on your diet start cutting down a bit (I used to eat a lot so I started cutting down) I started having more soups.
– A&D Oitment was my best friend! You can get it in Walmart it works wonders I didn’t have crazy cracking and drying on lips and the sorrounding area since I always used this. I got into the bad habbit of picking some of the dry skin It would bleed and sting then I would add A&D and the next day it was already healed. It’s my #1 miracle Oitment for only $3.00
– Breathing was so difficult for me! I cried and got anxiety attacks (horrible) what I did and worked so great was dipping a Q-tip in peroxide water (surgeon suggested) or just water alone. Got a small flash light and right in front of the little I would start cleaning. It would work for a few hours and I had to wake up and keep doing so. I also got those Breath right strips and it helped open up my nostril since the swelling doesn’t help.
-If you are wired but a baby toothbrush, mouth wash (alcohol free) and those little brushes (go between proxabrush) I would bend the head a bit and I will push the brush with my tongue again my beeth to clean the inside.
– Lightly massage your face pushing outwards (gets the blood moving/flowing)
Well there are so many other things I found extra helpful and more that I am discovering as I heal. I AM SO SORRY I WROTE SO MUCH! I am out on dissability and have nothing else to do if you have any questions and if I can help at all let me know.
I wish you the very best! 🙂
February 7, 2016 at 2:21 am
I had it done 3 days ago so still pretty raw. Im after taking 4weeks off work. Im hoping to start feeling normal again at 2 week post op. It’s going to be hard work with a young baby. Worsed part is eating and drinking. Find it pretty hard to swallow. Swelling suck aswell my census feel like there going burst. Pain is not a problem. Meds are working great. I look like someone out of big momma’s house. Best of luck
February 12, 2016 at 10:24 pm
Hi Sarah,
I basically had the same surgery on Jan 25th that you will have. This is the end of my 3rd week post-op. My surgery went smoothly with no nausea. (They put a patch behind my ear that must have worked.) The first couple weeks were the most difficult. My prescribed pain medication worked pretty well. For some reason day 4 seemed to be the worst for pain and swelling. The congestion and sitting up while trying to sleep were the biggest issues that lasted the longest.
I would definitely advise having at least 2 weeks of high-protein liquid foods at home before having your surgery. Although I may have been able to physically get myself to the store, I really didn’t feel like it. Another tip: don’t forget to ice the area under your nose and your chin. I mostly iced on my cheeks and the swelling decreased pretty quickly, but I didn’t think to ice the other areas for 2 weeks so my upper lip is still very swollen.
I met someone today who said their co-worker returned to work the next day after having this surgery. I can’t imagine how he did that and would advise against it if possible. I’m not going to tell you how long to stay off of work because I don’t know your flexibility, but I will say that I am glad that I took 4 weeks off. At minimum, I would try to take at least 2 weeks off. Given that you have a baby to take care, I wish you extra luck and energy.
February 2, 2016 at 11:03 pm
Hey All,
I’m at week 7 (on friday) post bimax (+3 wisdom teeth & turbinectomy) and had my braces off yesterday (YAY). The right side of my face still seems pretty puffy and chin still feels super weird like hardcore pins and needles.
Oh and my mouth doesn’t open very far mayble like 2 finger width, does anyone know when that comes back to normal…(it does go back to normal right???)
Also how are we finding macking on??? When can I kiss boys between the lack of feeling and not being able to open up I feel so useless in this department.
Oh and if I never look at a packet of chicken noodles again, I will be so happy!!
Thanks Y’all,
– Stef
February 5, 2016 at 10:25 pm
Stef, it’s perfectly normal to have limited movement of your jaw even after 2 months. To speed up the recovery of your jaw muscles, try whistling a few times each day (this breaks up scar tissue) and chewing gum (but only if you have the strength). You will get your full range of motion back sometime between your third and fourth month.
As for kissing, you can do this at any point now. As funny as it sounds, kissing will probably help restore the movement of your jaw because it’s good exercise for those muscles. 😉
February 2, 2016 at 3:43 am
Hi I’ve been putting my elastics on the wrong hook on one side of my mouth. I’m not sure how long for, I think just a few days, maybe a week. It’s still been in the same pattern, just on the next hook up to the one it’s supposed to be on. I haven’t noticed any changes in my teeth/jaw, so I don’t know if I should worry or not. I see my orthodontist on Thursday for my 3 week post op check so I don’t think a phone call is necessary especially since I haven’t noticed a change and everything still looks fine. Is it better to check and be sure though? I’ve got it on the wrong one today also just because I only realised it today and I’ve been putting it on like that for at least a few days and it seems to not be effecting anything
February 5, 2016 at 10:22 pm
Madison, wearing your elastics on the wrong hook for a short period of time should not be a problem. If you start wearing them in the correct place, your teeth will move back to the desired position in just a few days.
I understand that my reply is a bit late, so your orthodontist has probably already reassured you. 😊
February 1, 2016 at 7:53 am
I had double jaw surgery 3 weeks ago and recovery has been going well, the surgeon is pleased. My biggest problem has been my ability to express myself through my face! When will I be able to smile, frown, essentially let people know what I’m feeling without me having to say “I’m smiling at you right now.” 🙂
February 2, 2016 at 12:37 am
Jenny
I’m glad you had a great recovery! Tomorrow it will be my 4th week and I have recovered perfectly fine. I was actually able to smile in about the second week. I also had double jaw surgery and I will be wired for 6-8 weeks then moving to rubber bands. Now going back to getting feeling back and being able to get facial expressions back I found it super helpful a tip I got from a Girl on Youtube.
http://youtu.be/uoA2iYyBv4A
The “massage” method helped so much my swelling went down fast and majority of numbness is gone. Good Luck 🙂
January 30, 2016 at 3:05 pm
I had double jaw surgery exactly three weeks ago, on January 9th, most of the swelling is gone but my upper lip looks giant! Mine looks similar to your lip in the first weeks, when the swelling in that area did dissapear in your case? Sorry for my english
January 31, 2016 at 5:31 am
Hi! My upper lip was really huge and My doctor had told me to massage it. So what I did was put some Vaseline and massage it in a pinching motion for some time. This really helped for mine and within a day or 2 it was totally down. Hope it works for u too!