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.

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1303 Comments

  1. Jessica- I have not tried drinking from a cup yet! I think I might wait on that for a few days, i already drool all over myself from not having any feeling in my bottom lip. I just think i will leave a complete mess lol. When did you start drinking with a cup? I now have gotten a bit more comfortable with the toothbrush as well, but i still feel like im not cleaning it well enough, but i guess you cant really help that! When you went for your first post-op appointment did he let you brush the insides of your mouth? Oh and thats great to hear about the cheek stitches because i go tomorrow for my first post-op appointment and he told me i will get mine removed then and i was afraid it might hurt a little to come out but im glad not (: Wow you went through more than me, you’re right though, it is amazing what all the body can endure! I am currently at day 5 post-op, it feels like it should be longer though! my days feels so long:( I’m ready to get elastics off and start eating soft foods, lol but i know it’ll come with time!

  2. Jessica – yes I made the mistake of blowing my nose because I just couldn’t breath at first but the shower has been working. I’m on day 12 now and I did some heating packs on my face but my swelling is still there, not alot but I guess it will eventually go down. I just feel so impatient, I want it to be better already.
    Also, I am still using a syringe. I try using a cup to rinse my mouth and I just spill everywhere so I think I’ll hold back on trying to drink with a cup. If I blend food that is even a little thick it will just spill out my mouth so I can really only drink stuff. The surgeon said he will start taking off a few rubberbands in a few days so I am excited. I hope I can start talking or at least use a straw.

  3. I glanced over some of the more recent posts, and I saw, ‘…don’t blow your nose’…

    I was told this also, so the hot steamy showers were able to relieve some of the pressure – but I suppose I got greedy and honked out a couple … felt damn good, but unfortunately it kept my bleeding going for days and set back my healing. I was such a dummy.

    Gross talk, but fact. Do Not Blow Your Nose!

    You’ve just got to let your body heal at its own pace. Help by hydrating and taking it easy.

    Good luck all! And Congrats to those who have done this!

    ~ Bru

    • Bru, it’s incredible how important the “don’t blow your nose” advice is, isn’t it? I feel like that instruction, coupled with the “drink prune juice” one, are the two sharpest weapons in our arsenal.

  4. Mary, that is the same surgeon that I am scheduled to see! I am actually from Simcoe, Ontario and have just started seeing an ortho in Woodstock. I did miss your earlier post until now.

    I see that you are a bit different than me in the fact that you were having some difficulties prior, whereas I am not.

    My consultation isn’t until end of May. I am eager to go so I can make my decision and get my Impressions finally done. Everything takes so long! So it sounds like the surgeries may be similar, so I have a couple of questions for you:

    1. Where is the surgery done?
    2. How did you feel immediately after?
    3. How long before you could say that the “edge” was off the discomfort?

  5. I apologize in advance for the length. I’ve been meaning to post weekly updates, but kept forgetting.
    I’m coming up on three weeks Post-Op now. I had Tri-Maxillofacial Surgery in which they widened my palate, set my upper jaw up about 3 mm higher, pulled my lower jaw forward about 10 mm, and extended my chin slightly on Feb 19. The first day was in the hospital and wasn’t too bad. The swelling was extreme, the pain was manageable, and the nurses were awesome. I was released to go home in the afternoon of the 20th. Pain was worst on day 2 after the surgery, as I actually had to take some of the pain meds on that day. Aside from day 2, which I took Percocet, I managed to squeak by with just taking Motrin.
    Congestion/nose bleeds: For the first few days, especially the first night home, the congestion was intense. Don’t get alarmed by this, as it is normal. If you snort lightly, as if hawking a loogie just softer, it can help to clear the congestion, but be aware that it will also lead to the mucus/blood building up in your throat, and thus make you cough it up. Nose bleeds were common, which also meant a lot of dried blood in my nose. To assist with this, I used Q-tips to apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the insides of my nostrils. This kept it moist, and also helped to get the dried blood out.
    Walking! It’s a big deal. Walk walk walk walk walk. It will really help you get the blood flowing, which leads to better/quicker healing, and actually helps you sleep better. I walked two blocks on Day 2, then on Day 3 I went for the mile. I ended up stopping to rest about 3/4 in, but by Day 4, I had the energy to walk the full mile. Day 6 I started with 2 miles, and have been walking 2 miles a day since.
    Cleaning: I was lucky enough to be able to open my mouth enough to start brushing from day one(using a baby toothbrush), but those that aren’t so lucky, do so as soon as you can. Be mindful of where your stitches are at though. I ended up pulling the stitches out of my cheek by accident with the toothbrush, and now I have a large cavity in the cheek that I need to clean out regularly on top of everything else. While I’m on the topic of stitches, they put in dissolving stitches. They will come out in their own time, but this could be a different time for some than it is for others. I have stitches starting to fall out from the upper lip finally, but they are still attached to the other stitches that have no intention of coming out. I found this out the painful way, by seeing some stitches hanging down on my braces, and starting to tug. If this happens to you, leave them be. It will look bad having stitches hanging from your lip, but it’s better than pulling the other stitches out.
    Food: I stuck primarily with a high calorie workout/protein supplement mixed with milk for my food source for the first couple of weeks. To get the vitamins and other nutrients that I needed, I would make a smoothie at least once a day with bananas, strawberry yogurt, frozen fruit, and milk. On top of that, I got some Naked Juice, three different flavors, each with different vitamins and minerals, and I drank at least a glass(or in my case, a small gatorade bottle) of each one every day. Bananas bananas bananas…most people know bananas for being a good source of Potassium, but they also have many other vitamins and nutrients our bodies need. It is said that one can survive on bananas and water alone. After a few days, I started blending soups mixed with milk. After a week and a half, I was able to start eating Mac and Cheese by swallowing it whole, and am now able to eat anything I don’t have to chew. Try to get away from the syringe eating as soon as possible. I started with a small gatorade bottle from day one, spilling all over myself half the time, and by day 3 was able to drink from it without making a mess, which enabled me to stop using the syringe, and instead use the gatorade bottle. It is far easier and quicker to drink your food than it is to use the syringe.
    Elastics: The elastics are going to be different for everybody. I left the hospital after surgery with no elastics on. On my 1 week follow-up, my bite wasn’t quite lining up naturally, so they put elastics on me. By my week 2 follow-up, even though both rubber bands had snapped, I had trained my muscles to guide my teeth right into position naturally. I suggest any time you think about it, spend a few minutes opening and closing your mouth as much as you can, while ensuring it lines up with the splint they put in. I did this, and as a result, only needed the elastics for a week.
    Now: at just under 3 weeks, I am still slightly swollen; no feeling in my lower lip; feeling in my chin is starting to return (FINALLY! Shaving when you can’t feel is so annoying. I’m military, and have to stay clean shaven for work, so for the last week I’ve been shaving with no feeling); my nose has feeling, but it feels like just after your foot comes back from having fallen asleep. I’m eating anything I can swallow, and still drinking the high calorie supplements. Pain isn’t an issue, just the random discomfort of the nerves coming to. I’m talking up a storm. My nickname at work is Mumbles or Slurpee, Mumbles for the obvious reason of talking with the splint in, and Slurpee due to the fact that I slurp a lot to prevent drooling. Yes, I am still drooling. I imagine this will last until I can feel my lower lip. At this point, I think everything can only get better. 😀

  6. Hi Lynda….Mary here – I left a message specifically for you about a week ago to let you know I am from Listowel, Ontario, and had lower jaw surgery 6 weeks ago, done by a terrific surgeon from London!:) (Dr. Hogg) Take a look back in this blog and you will find my message and information I sent for you to read. I know exactly what you are feeling and going through at this time. I am 58 now, but have had my braces on for a bit over two years. No regrets whatsoever! Mary

  7. Laura- glad to hear that the eating is going well for you! Are you able to drink from a cup now? I totally sympathize with the brushing thing. I got a little baby toothbrush also and I just did the best I could to brush and then I used a prescription mouthwash that my surgeon prescribed. I am still using it actually. But I have heard of several people using warm salt water and other things such as what you are using. I was a little hesitant to get in there too much with the toothbrush at first as well but I soon realized that the stitches are all the way up where your top lip connects to your gum line and you really aren’t going to hurt the stitches by brushing then I got a lot more comfortable and was able to brush pretty normally. Now, you may have other stitches but for me, I only have them on the top gum line and I also had the two cheek stitches like the ones you have. Those, by the way, will come out soon and you will never know they were there. I had mine out after 12 or so days and the little spots healed up right away. No noticeable scarring or anything. The insicions are so tiny. It didn’t hurt to have them removed either. Anyway, about the brushing…I was able to open my mouth wide enough to get the baby brush in there a couple of times in the first week, but my surgeon was really surprised that I was able to do that and he said that it wasn’t necessary at that point in the healing process. I think they just want you to keep the mouth as clean as possible without hurting yourself, so whatever is comfortable for you. It sure can be a pain. Especially when you start eating some soft foods. I spend more time at the bathroom sink swishing and brushing and picking food out of this metal/ plastic trap I have here than I do eating! It’s just crazy 🙂 BUT I’m getting used to it. Might as well right? Nowadays it is a lot easier for me because I no longer have elastics on my teeth. The elastics that I was wearing caused some seriously sick looking canker sores on the inside of my bottom lip so my dr. Instructed me to leave them off for now so the ulcers can heal. Gross right? Luckily I can’t feel a thing so they don’t hurt and no elastics means much easier eating, brushing, etc. Your dr. At some point will probably instruct you to take the bands off while eating and brushing and then put them back on. This I believe usually happens aroun the 2 week mark. Although, I realize it is different for everyone. Sounds like we had similar surgeries though. I had my bottom jaw moved back a few mm and the top jaw was too narrow so they cut it in 4 places and widened it like 8mm! Then put back together with plates and screws. I also had a deviated septum so they corrected that as well. It’s pretty amazing what the body can endure and bounce back from. I’m still struggling with residual swelling and numbness, etc but for only 2 weeks after total mutilation of the grill, I feel pretty darn good. What are you in now? Day 6?

  8. Sorry, didnt mean to submit post yet lol. But anyway how have you been cleaning? I am agraid to get past my front teeth because of worrying aboit hitting a stitch or something and dont want ro do tjat. I go back for an appointment on tuesday and i will get to brush the insides of my teeth then but is t really necessary to try now? Also what did they have to do with your jaw? Mine was moved forward on the bottom and as well my chin forward and on the top jaw they pushed it back, i have 2 tiny small stitches on each of mt cheecks:(

  9. Jessica!- thanks again!(: i have been drinking all the things you told me aboit. Today i tried a few different things, it has been going a little better and not so much a hassle eating anymore(: although now i am learning that it is pretty hard to clean my mouth. My surgeon advised me to take a child toothbrush and take equal parts of water, hydrogen peroxide, and mouthwash and swish it around after i have used it to brush gently. But i cant really brush past my front teeth

  10. Jessica, thank you so much for your reply. That’s the issue I’m dealing with also – everyone seems to be so happy with the outcome. Also, not that this surgery isn’t important to men, but I feel as though most women take their looks a little more to heart.

    Also, thanks for the feedback on the pain level – I know everyone is differnt though. I’ve watched several you tube’s on it & it just doesn’t look pleasant. It’s one thing to have surgery when you have a reason, but for the improvement of appearance – well, I’m struggling with it.

    Any other feedback from posters would be more than appreciated also.

  11. Lynda- that is a tough decision. Some of my family also didn’t understand why i chose to go through with the surgery, because my issue was not extremely noticeable to other people. i had a crossbite and a narrow upper jaw that caused my teeth to sit right on top of eachother instead of a healthy bite. I made the decision and then i did my best to assure my fiance and family that it was necessary for the functionality of my bite and also would make me feel better about my smile. Ultimately it is a very personal choice. I would not describe the aftermath of this surgery as excruciating by any means, because following the surgery your face (below your eyes) will be totally numb. That numbness lasts through most of the healing so the pain is really minimal. The big deal about it ( in my experience anyway) in more of the discomfort and inconvenience. I would recommend reading Graham’s postings if you haven’t already and maybe even some other blogs that give a good idea of the healing process. It is a lengthy process but what led me to my decision was that it appeared to be a fairly safe ( although all surgery has risks ) surgery and everyone who went through with it was happy that they did. I am only 16 days post op so I can’t say what the entire ride is like yet, but I can say that overall, it hasn’t been a terribly traumatic experience or anything. The entire process from braces to now has taken a lot of patience and planning, but as the swelling subsides, I am finally starting to see the results and I couldn’t be happier. I definitely feel that in the end it will be worth it. One of the things that I did was make a list of questions that you or your family have for the oral surgeon. Ask him about the benefits of the surgery for your specific case. Equipped with all of the information that you need, you can weigh the benefits with the risks/inconveniences and see if you feel it is worth it for you. Hope this helps a little. Good Luck with everything and let us know how it goes! 🙂

    Jess

  12. I also wanted to mention that I’m from Southwestern Ontario and the surgeon I am scheduled to see is in London, Ont. I live about a hour south of London. Anyone here from my area?

  13. I am 46 and just recently went to see an ortho for braces. Well, one of my two treatment options is to have jaw surgery to bring out my lower jaw. I didn’t expect to have to make that big of a decision to get braces! Now, I must admit that I’m not getting a warm and fuzzy on taking this path, but I would like to have the lower jaw pulled forward for a cosmetic improvement.

    My husband thinks that I’m crazy for even considering it, so I’m not sure that I’ll win him over on this one. I’m feeling as though I must be pretty vain to go through with something this significant to look better. I am more than happy with my looks, but not when I turn sideways (which I only see in pictures) and I don’t like myself then.

    How excruciating is the pain after surgery?

    I’m scheduled in May to speak with the surgeon as a consultation. I can’t get my braces until I figure out which treatment method I’m going with; surgical or non-surgical. The non-surgical method will straighten the teeth, but obviously I will still have an overbite, or a lower jaw that looks like a pug’s nose 😉

    Thoughts???

  14. Laura- the nosebleeds are going to happen for a bit. I had them for several days..maybe up to day 7-8. You are going to start feeling better real soon. The worst days are the ones you are experiencing now, so stay positive and stay medicated 😉 I would definately recommend drinking some ensure or boost. It will help to provide some nutrients that are much needed for healing and staying nourished. I also drank chicken broth, puréed soups, prune juice, almond milk, coconut water (super hydrating and delicious). Then after a few days I got creative with some smoothies. I posted a great smoothie recipe in a previous post that has ingredients that are specifically good for decreasing inflammation. It is a thick shake though so until you are able to do something a little thicker, you could always juice some good greens with other veggies and fruit if you have a juicer. In whatever way you can, get in lots of nutritious foods. I believe it makes all of the difference in your healing time. That and drinking lots of water. I got 2- 1.5 Liter bottles of water and fill them up in the morning and make sure I finish them by the end of the day. That way, you know how much you are drinking 🙂 Happy Healing!

  15. Oh yes, and the syringe! I only used the syringe for about the first 8-9 days. After that I got tired enough of it to try a cup. And you know what? It worked! At first I used my nephews sippy cup and by the next day I was drinking out of a regular cup. It can be messy at first, so make sure you have a towel handy but as soon as you get the hang of locating your bottom lip you’ll see it works out much better than the syringe. Good luck!

  16. Savanna- let’s try that again…

    The stuffy nose will resolve itself really soon. I had double jaw surgery and septoplasty (corrected deviated Septum) For me, the nose cleared up at right around day 10. Although I think that it may have taken longer except my sister made me laugh really hard and when I did accidently I blew some seriously foreign and crazy looking thing out of one nostril and then a few days later the same thing happened with the other one. Of course we aren’t supposed to blow our noses so I wouldn’t suggest doing that, but anyway it happens you should probably be breathing fine very soon. In fact, if you had the turbinates removed you will breathe better than ever before! It’s like an amazing bonus to the jaw surgery!! As for the swelling, I have to say that my Dr told me that after the 14 day mark he expects most of the swelling to be gone. But mine wasn’t! So yesterday and today I made it a point to drink 3Liters of water daily and I have made a fruit and veggie smoothie that tackles inflammation and have been using moist heat compression on the swelling and wow! It has made a big difference! I think the biggest things are adequate nutrient intake, lots of water!, go for walks, and use a warm washcloth on the bottom jaw( not the top the doc said) and today for me he suggested the use of homeopathic arnica Montana and a light massage to drain the lymph if you are comfortable with that and it doesn’t hurt. The chapped lips are totally inevitable. The more water you drink, the more blistex, Carmex, Vaseline you slap on those puppies the better off you’ll be because as they swell and shrink they peel and keeping them hydrated will make it a lot less painful. Ok well that is a novel! Hope some of this helps. You have made it through the hardest part girlie. Keep in good spirits. Things can only get better.

    Jess

  17. Jessica- thank you so much for the adviice! I am in terrible pain and missery but i know it wont last forever! I have been bleeding through my nose the whole day it has been horrible but im getting through it. So far i have just been eating tomato soup and drinking juices but that has been it. What were somethings thar you ate?

  18. Hello, my name is Savanna. I just had double jaw surgery 9 days ago to correct an overbite. I find that when I have trouble breathing the nose sprays really help unclog my nose and I can breath. I tend to drool a lot! when I sleep but I shower every morning which makes me feel better. My lips are severly chapped. When does that go away? My swelling is going down but how long until it completely goes away? How long did it take before you didnt have to use the syringes and could use a straw?

  19. Mary, thank you so much! I am going to Walgreen’s right now to look for them. What a blessing and lifesaver this blog and all of you are. I am beyond appreciative of your help. Hope you have a great day!

  20. Hi there Jessica…I have been following your journey and was also thinking you should be using warm/or on hotter side jel pack(s). My surgeon only had me using the ice for the first 8 days, then directly to the heat. What worked best and was suggested was to use a reusable hot or cold compress jel pack. It is microwaveable, soft and flexible, about 4″x10″ and I picked a couple up in a drugstore (here in Ontario), but because they are used for so many purposes, I figure you should be able to find one in a number of places. I prefer to boil some water, turn it off and put the pack in for 5-10 minutes, then wrap lightly in a dish towel. It brought my swelling down drastically and helped with bruising. Now that swelling is gone I still use the pack three times a day to help losen my jaw while I do my excercises to get my mouth open wide. My left side is also still numb, which is perfectly normal and might last for a few months, and I find such relief with this simple heated pack! 🙂 Go, or have someone go for you, to find this inexpensive product. You will be much happier and able to stretch out and rest instead of getting up and down all the time. Give it a try. Wishing you well and better each and every day 🙂

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