Question about opening mouth

[Guest guest]

I am a little over 6 weeks post op and have all my bands off and am

going to the OD on Tuesday to get wires changed. I know that it is

still early but i have slight numbness in my chin and lip. When i

say slight i mean that i can feel pressure and hot and cold but its

still not completely normal. I have complete numbness in all my

gums and was wondering if that will ever come back because i have no

tingling or zaps in my gums like i do my lip and chin. I was also

wondering about how long it takes to open your mouth wide enough to

bite into a sandwich and chew normally. I feel very akward when i

chew. I dont know how many mm i can open but i can say its about to

fingers wide. My OS never told me of anything to do to help open my

mouth wider. He just said come back in two months. Does anyone

have any advice on how to slowly get my mouth back to normal. I

also want to thank everyone because this site has helped me soooo

much.

[Guest guest]

I'm only 3 1/2 weeks post-op but I have the same feelings in my chin,

lips, and gums that you described. I can only open my mouth about 1

fingers width. I've done a little research and it seems like your

chin and lip will remain numb longer than anything else, and how long

really depends on the individual. Sometimes it goes away in a few

months, up to a year, or can be permanent if the surgeon stretched

the nerve to far or injured it. As far as opening your mouth, your

muscles are still tight from not being used for a while and are

getting used to their new position. After I get my bands removed my

OS told me that slowly stretching the jaw a few times a day will

help, but it just takes time. I had arthrocentesis to fix a lodged

disc that caused me not to be able to open my mouth. It took ne about

2 months until I could open my mouth normally again. If you do

stretch your jaw, don't force it open with your fingers, just open it

and close it a few times, and move your chin forward, back, side to

side gently. Hope this helps!

> I am a little over 6 weeks post op and have all my bands off and am

> going to the OD on Tuesday to get wires changed. I know that it is

> still early but i have slight numbness in my chin and lip. When i

> say slight i mean that i can feel pressure and hot and cold but its

> still not completely normal. I have complete numbness in all my

> gums and was wondering if that will ever come back because i have

no

> tingling or zaps in my gums like i do my lip and chin. I was also

> wondering about how long it takes to open your mouth wide enough to

> bite into a sandwich and chew normally. I feel very akward when i

> chew. I dont know how many mm i can open but i can say its about to

> fingers wide. My OS never told me of anything to do to help open

my

> mouth wider. He just said come back in two months. Does anyone

> have any advice on how to slowly get my mouth back to normal. I

> also want to thank everyone because this site has helped me soooo

> much.