Question 2: learning to chew again!

[Guest guest]

Sorry for the double-post -- but my questions were different enough

that I figured I'd post them separately.

This past week I hit the one-month mark since my surgery (upper +

genio), and my surgeon said I could take the bands off for a few

hours each day and start in on soft foods. (Yay!) He didn't even

take the bands off while I was in his office (he was on his way to

another surgery, so seemed in a hurry); when I got home I found I

could open about about a finger's width (so maybe 13 or 14 mm). We

spoke later and I asked him about doing any exercises, and he sort of

casually said " oh, maybe later, but not for now. "

He also said I could see my ortho next week for an adjustment and to

grind down a few teeth that are kind of getting in the way of my bite

setting just right -- but I don't think I'll be able to open enough

for the ortho to do anything!

And eating is a huge new adventure as well. It's like my teeth,

tongue and lips have all never met before, but are now being asked to

perform some elaborate dance... hence getting avocado in my hair

during my first solid meal! I'm a little worried because as I chew,

my lower jaw keeps sort of sliding backwards instead of into its

proper placement now (in relation to my upper jaw's new position),

and I'm worried I'm going to learn the " wrong " way to chew. But mmm,

it's good to be able to have something other than liquid at least.

So anyway: is it unusual not to start jaw exercises right away? Has

anyone here actually needed physical therapy for their

opening/chewing? How long can it take to get back to a normal range

of opening and chewing ability? I'm healing really slowly, so keep

in mind that stories of unusually super-fast recoveries pretty much

only make me start crying at this point!

Thanks,

Sara

[Guest guest]

I had lower jaw moved forward about 8 mm on December 20, so I am

about 6 weeks post op. My lower lip and chin are still numb. When

my OS gave me the okay to " eat anything I wanted " , I was so

excited. However, my excitement was short lived when I discovered

that I did not know how to eat with my new bite. The first few

days, I kept biting the inside of my jaw when I chewed. But slowly

I am learning to eat.

I can open about 2 finger widths. My OS also said not to force my

mouth open or to exercise it. He said that it would come naturally,

and it has improved over that last few weeks.

I had my top wire and a few lose bands replaced on the top teeth at

4 weeks post op and the OD did not have any problems with my limited

ability to open. I am also scheduled to have my teeth cleaned next

week and the dentist has said that it should not be a problem.

>

> Sorry for the double-post -- but my questions were different

enough

> that I figured I'd post them separately.

>

> This past week I hit the one-month mark since my surgery (upper +

> genio), and my surgeon said I could take the bands off for a few

> hours each day and start in on soft foods. (Yay!) He didn't even

> take the bands off while I was in his office (he was on his way to

> another surgery, so seemed in a hurry); when I got home I found I

> could open about about a finger's width (so maybe 13 or 14 mm).

We

> spoke later and I asked him about doing any exercises, and he sort

of

> casually said " oh, maybe later, but not for now. "

>

> He also said I could see my ortho next week for an adjustment and

to

> grind down a few teeth that are kind of getting in the way of my

bite

> setting just right -- but I don't think I'll be able to open

enough

> for the ortho to do anything!

>

> And eating is a huge new adventure as well. It's like my teeth,

> tongue and lips have all never met before, but are now being asked

to

> perform some elaborate dance... hence getting avocado in my hair

> during my first solid meal! I'm a little worried because as I

chew,

> my lower jaw keeps sort of sliding backwards instead of into its

> proper placement now (in relation to my upper jaw's new position),

> and I'm worried I'm going to learn the " wrong " way to chew. But

mmm,

> it's good to be able to have something other than liquid at least.

>

> So anyway: is it unusual not to start jaw exercises right away?

Has

> anyone here actually needed physical therapy for their

> opening/chewing? How long can it take to get back to a normal

range

> of opening and chewing ability? I'm healing really slowly, so

keep

> in mind that stories of unusually super-fast recoveries pretty

much

> only make me start crying at this point!

>

> Thanks,

> Sara