If you’re in the position to undergo jaw surgery, chances are that you have completed many months of orthodontic treatment and are in the process of talking to your surgeon and making all the necessary arrangements for your surgery.
Jaw surgery is an intricate procedure used to correct severe cases of dental misalignments to enhance facial harmony and correct irregularities of the jawbone, the procedure is carried out in a hospital under general anaesthetic. When waking from surgery it’s highly likely you will experience swelling, stiffness, and bruising, which is why paying attention to recovery is so important.
Recovering from Jaw Surgery: Our Trusted Tips and Tricks.
Rest is one of the most vital things you can do after your jaw surgery and following your surgeon’s advice on specific care. Recovery time is different for everyone and is based on:
- Severity of the individual case.
- Time and care taken by the patient.
- The patient’s natural recovery ability, i.e. how fast they recover from broken bones, cuts, scrapes, etc.
- Age of patient.
We are a specialist orthodontist in Oldham, with years of experience overseeing and helping our patients through jaw surgery. Follow the below 5 trusted steps for safe recovery and overall successful orthognathic surgery.
- Make Eating Easy.
Following surgery, it’s important to limit your jaw movement as much as possible, so ensure your diet is mainly liquid, such as fortified milk, soups, yoghurts, and supplement drinks like Meritene and Complan. After the first week, or if your jaw feels capable, a pureed diet can be introduced, such as porridge, scrambled egg, and pureed meals like cottage pie, casseroles, and curries. Your normal diet can be resumed once advised by your orthodontist you’re ok to do so, however, it’s normal for the first 2 to 3 months for your jaw to become easily tired and ache as it settles into a new position and develops the surrounding muscles.
- Be Kind to Yourself and Rest.
This is the most important part of recovery and directly after surgery, the only thing you should be doing is resting at home. Work and school should be on hold anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the severity of your case and sports should be avoided for around 4 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks for contact sports. Driving, bending, or lifting can cause blood clots, which are important in healing, to become dislodged or burst and bleed, so you want to ensure that movement and its intensity are increased gradually.
- Over-the-Counter Pain Medication.
After surgery, you will experience some pain, swelling, stiffness, and bruising, this is all completely normal so stocking up on painkillers is important. The first few days will be most painful, so using paracetamol or ibuprofen can help to reduce swelling and decrease the intensity of pain. You can also use hot and cold compresses to help with swelling and keep your head elevated as much as possible to promote blood flow for healing.
- Maintain Oral Hygiene.
Brushing and flossing can be tricky after surgery, especially with any swelling and discomfort you may feel, however, it’s incredibly important and just requires some patience and perseverance. Wounds need to stay clean and free from infection but you also need to ensure you don’t cause further issues from a build-up of bacteria. Use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush that is easy to get between your jaws and in between your braces and use a prescribed mouthwash or salt-water rinse. Try as best you can to stay clear of any of the incisions to reduce the chance of bleeding.
- Exercises for your Jaw.
From around 10 days after your surgery, start gently opening and closing your mouth as often as you can, then forward and backward, and side to side to increase your jaw’s range of movement. If this feels uncomfortable, applying heat to the side of your face can help ease muscle strain. Around 4 weeks after your surgery, you can start to use your finger to put pressure between your front teeth.
Your Trusted Orthodontists for Orthognathic Surgery in Oldham.
If you are seeking jaw surgery in Oldham, our team of fully trained and experienced clinicians ensures a smooth end-to-end process with complex, interdisciplinary care, and regular check-up appointments to ensure that your recovery is going well and remaining on track.
We regularly undertake this type of work with access to an expert team of professionals and maxillofacial surgeons, able to perform a successful orthognathic operation.
Contact your trusted and reliable orthodontist for jaw surgery in Oldham today and begin your journey to a better and happier smile.