Recovery Tips
Following is a summary of the most important things I learned during my recovery from double jaw surgery.
- Drink lots of prune juice and water. Your toilet time will be far from enjoyable for the first couple of weeks because you’re likely to be severely dehydrated. The prune juice will provide your body with the fiber it needs to work those bowels properly, but fiber is useless without water because it won’t dissolve in your body. I recommend a bare minimum of 1 L of water per day. Drink 2 L per day as soon as you can.
- Before you attempt to pull any dead skin off of your lips, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. I learned this the hard way.
- Start using medicated lip balm immediately following your return to your own home. If you don’t, you’ll end up with flaps of dead skin that are half an inch in diameter, and I promise you they won’t feel good when they catch on your braces.
- Apply heat to your face 3-4 times per day for the first 5-6 weeks to help with the swelling. The heat will also help you fall asleep.
- Begin each day at a decent time. If you sleep most of the day, you won’t be able to sleep at night, and you’ll hate yourself for it. Get out of bed, shower, eat some breakfast and brush your teeth and you’ll enjoy each day a lot more. (This is good advice for any day of your life, but it especially applies when you’re on the verge of depression from having jaw surgery.)
- Go to bed on time. Yawning will cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours.
- As soon as you’re able to talk clearly enough for friends and family to understand you, call people and be social. Go outside and enjoy nature. Whatever you do, ensure you don’t fall into a trap of loneliness and self-pity.
- Start drinking from a cup as soon as you’re physically able to. Your upwards trek back to having full energy begins the day you can throw your syringes in the garbage.
- Eat solid food as soon as your surgeon gives you the go-ahead. It’ll be a slow, tedious and frustrating process, but you need to go through with it in order to build your jaw muscles back up and learn how to chew properly once again.
- It may take some time to get used to your new smile and your newly structured face. Don’t be ashamed of yourself. You don’t look funny at all. You’re simply not used to looking like you’re supposed to.
- And lastly, don’t worry about your looks, bite or facial feeling for at least 6 months. You may have an open bite, but you’ll wake up one morning and your teeth will have migrated back together. You may be completely numb, but feeling will return almost overnight.
If you have any questions about the recovery process, or perhaps have other pointers to share with upcoming jaw surgery patients, feel free to jot them down in the comments.
June 18, 2012 at 4:12 pm
I’m having lower jaw surgery on July 11th, to correct my underbite. I’ve had braces on for 2 years and I’m so glad to finally be having this done. BUT, I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old. I was told I will only be in the hospital overnight but I’m really worried about how my kids are going to react to this. My 4 year old will be ok and he can read simple words so I’ll be able to write things down for him. But my daughter is still really dependent on me and really perfers me to my husband. I just don’t know how this is going to work. My husband is a teacher so he will be home during my recovery to take care of the kids but still…has anyone else went though this with little ones?
June 14, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Thanks Graham! My cheeks are not obviously swollen anymore, but there is still some swelling, but I am totally looking forward to when I will look “normal”. 😀
June 14, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Juana, I’m glad I could help. Enjoy your new smile!
June 13, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Thanks for all the useful tips. I had double jaw surgery 4/25/12 and your Blog really prepared me for what to expect. Thanks again!!!
June 12, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Hi Polina,
I would advice you to take a minimum of 3 weeks off following surgery. You’ll be unable to eat and speak for at least the first 2 weeks, and your speech will be difficult to understand for another few weeks after that.
On top of that, your energy levels will be at an all-time low because your body will be using all of its available energy to heal itself.
I went back to work after 2 weeks, but I could barely make it through the day and all communication had to be performed via email.
Take the downtime and enjoy it! Life is far too busy to pass up opportunities like this. =)
June 12, 2012 at 8:04 am
Hi Angela,
I myself had a burning sensation in my face but mostly my upper lip. My doctor told me it was my nerves repairing themselves and it is different for everyone. There is a drug you can get for nerve pain. I.m not sure of the correct spelling cause I don’t have the bottle in front of me but it was called Gabbapentin.(Perscribed) Try rotating between hot and cold cloths on your face. I’m at day 35 about give or take and the burning sensation is finally bearable. I wish you the best, It will get better!
June 11, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Finally had surgery five days ago. Face is hurting pretty bad. It feels like it’s burning/stinging. I’m not sure if I can put anything on it. The drool and food that comes out of my mouth burns making it severely painful to eat. Any suggestions?
June 11, 2012 at 10:02 am
Hey guys – I’m really glad to have found this, because I’m scheduled for a surgery on August 7 to fix my crossbite and I’ve been freaking out / trying not to think about it for a while, but it’s probably about time to accept it and start preparing… 😛
I have a question for you guys – I want to take this summer job, but obviously this surgery will interfere. If my surgery’s on a Tuesday, would it be plausible to go back to work on the following Monday? Like I know full recovery is much longer (4-6 weeks or a few months) to be 100% ,but how long did it take you guys to kind of go back to a normal daily schedule? It isn’t strenuous work.. just playing piano at a day camp and such.
It’d be awesome if someone could share their experiences with a crossbite surgery like this.
I’m getting it done with a Dr. Sachs in New Hyde Park, NY, btw.
Thanks!
June 11, 2012 at 2:14 am
My stitches took somewhere between 4 — 6 weeks to dissolve, if I remember correctly. Don’t worry about them, though. Your saliva will take care of them and you shouldn’t have to get them manually removed.
As for your braces sticking to your lips, that’s just part of having braces. Once your swelling recedes, this will bother you less.
Hang in there for the next few months, Steph!
June 10, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Oh wow….I didn’t even spell my name right. Lol. Anyway Graham….I gotta tell you, your site is a life saver. Everytime um about to go into a depressed and down mode I read your blog and remember I’m still early in my surgery. Omg i woke up with the biggest hangover and the fattest lips. I thought I’d gotten punched in the face last night…..then I remembered u had surgery. It hurt like heck for some reason though. Maybe cuz I was yelling over music the whole night.
What can you tell me about dissolving stitches. Mine are all still in my mouth bunched up. How long did it take for urs to dissolve it come out? My dox says theyre what’s making my lips swollen. He said if they don’t come out in two weeks, he’s taking them out himself…..I’m so scared….did you have to have some if urs removed? I know when he touch my lips I jump out of my chair because all my nerves are cimming back and it hurts….will it hurt when he pulls out the stitches. I know my lips will.
What kind of exercises should I do to make my lips feel better. What should i do about braces being stuck to my lips
June 10, 2012 at 8:07 am
Jessica, you’re almost at the one-week mark! You’ll be slowly resuming a normal pace of life in only a few more weeks. Cheers! =)
June 10, 2012 at 8:05 am
Stephanie, swelling will remain for at least another month. Sitting at 32 days, you’re still early on in your recovery. Also, the more you speak and move your jaw, the more swollen you will be at this point.
I laughed at your second comment (the one you left when you were blitz-roaring drunk). Alcohol will be fine, as long as you don’t have obvious open wounds in your mouth. Your flesh should be relatively healed up at this point.
Worry not, my friend! =)
June 10, 2012 at 7:39 am
I went out last night its u tgink about my 37th day I got wasted drunk. Omg….I’m so scared to tell my doctor i was drinking…will that be a problem….should i tell my doc. Isn’t alcohol like good for wounds or something?
June 8, 2012 at 11:57 am
I had the surgery 3 days ago and I am already feeling a little better. Still quite stuffy in the nose and chapped lips suck! But I keep thinking possitive and it’s working! 🙂
June 7, 2012 at 11:15 am
My lips are still swollen and uneven after 32days if surgery. The right side of my face still significantly swollen. I actually wake up super swollen on both sides and it goes dwn as the day goes on. Are these normal symptoms. Did anyone else go through this after 32days?
June 6, 2012 at 8:29 pm
There’s actually nothing you can do to encourage your feeling to return more quickly. You’re numb because the nerves in your chin, tongue, and lips were bruised during the surgery, so you must simply wait the prescribed amount of time for them to heal.
You should have most of your feeling back within the first 6—8 weeks. Be patient, my friend.
June 6, 2012 at 6:48 pm
I am 1 day post-op. I’m in some pain but I am trying to put on my big girl panties. Do u have any advice on how to get numbing away quicker?
June 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm
Stephanie, I experienced the joy of accidentally biting my cheek and tongue repeatedly at every meal as well. You have to learn how to chew again because the position of your jaws has changed. It’ll come along quickly, though, so no worries!
June 6, 2012 at 2:13 am
Hi Stephanie,
I can speak for myself on this matter….THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF MY CHEEKS ARE CHEWED AND SHREDDED UP!!! Its not pleasant. To help them speed up and heal, you can gargle with Hydrogen Peroxide. ( just dont swallow!) It is really making a difference in my comfortability.
Good Luck!
June 5, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Omg….I totally love this site. Thanx so much for putting it up….you don’t understand how much I love you right now.
Anyway, I’ve been eating my face while um trying to eat food. I’m on my 32 day mark…. Has anyone had this problem?
Im from Miami but im not a bath salt cannibal. I promise. lol