POSTED UNDER Jaw Surgery Reviews
32 Year Old Male - Lower Jaw Surgery
UPDATED FROM nycsimone
3 months post
90 day update
nycsimoneJuly 23, 2017
$85,000
Here we are after 90 days and everything is (and has been) back to normal. There's still just a little swelling around my chin area and I still have no feeling on my lower lip don to my chin bone. I think the numbness is receding slowly and hopefully by the end of the year I will get most of the numbness out.
Braces are still on and will likely come off in January.
Braces are still on and will likely come off in January.
Replies (4)
May 11, 2018
Were you able to talk okay during this time? I am a singer and I need the surgery- it actually is suspected to have given me years of migraines- however I am worried about how long it seems recovery is, and the inability to speak for weeks. Wondering how you were in terms of communicating?
November 3, 2018
I am currently in braces and I went to Dr.Farrell for a consult. Insurance denied me so still trying to figure out how to get them to pay. Did you insurance pay if so could you please please suggest some pointers???
UPDATED FROM nycsimone
25 days post
Day 25
nycsimoneMay 14, 2017
Day 25 - The process has been quite smooth and certainly much less painful then expected. I still have visible swelling on both sides although a little more on the left side.
Diet: I can eat just about anything that doesn't require a ton of chewing. So no steak, no cereal, hard bread etc.
Discomfort: There's 2 things that really bother me. The first is that when I chew because my left cheek is a bit more swollen it ends up getting in the way and from time to time I end up hewing on it and it doesn't feel very good. It's like biting your tongue. The second is that my chin is still completely numb but the nerve is waking up so I get some pretty strong zingers which even make me jump in the middle of the night. My doctor has given me Nurotin which has helped.
I'm schedule to be off from wok or another 4 weeks so that really helps.
Diet: I can eat just about anything that doesn't require a ton of chewing. So no steak, no cereal, hard bread etc.
Discomfort: There's 2 things that really bother me. The first is that when I chew because my left cheek is a bit more swollen it ends up getting in the way and from time to time I end up hewing on it and it doesn't feel very good. It's like biting your tongue. The second is that my chin is still completely numb but the nerve is waking up so I get some pretty strong zingers which even make me jump in the middle of the night. My doctor has given me Nurotin which has helped.
I'm schedule to be off from wok or another 4 weeks so that really helps.
Replies (2)
May 23, 2017
Hi. How is the zinger sensation so far? Any progress? Do u still have rubber bands? When do u plan to go back to work?
May 23, 2017
Yes I still have the rubber bands but transitioned over to my orthodontist about 2 weeks ago so they're not the surgical kind anymore. The zingers are gone but I'm assuming it's because I'm on Gabapentin which is supposed to help with that. I'm cleared to go back to work in about 1 week but I'm using up some vacation time after that and basically taking another 2 weeks off.
May 25, 2017
Happy for your progress! You difinetly made it. Does the result worth the surgery? Do u chew food now? Do you talk normally when u remove your bands?
June 14, 2017
Hi! I hope you healed fast from surgery! Pls update us with photos and progress m
UPDATED FROM nycsimone
7 days post
Day 7
nycsimoneApril 26, 2017
Swelling is down quite a bit. My right side is down more then the left side and as far as pain goes the right has given me no trouble while the left has given me some issues. My neck has a yellowish tint which I think might be from the breathing tube but I'm surprised it hasn't gone away. Eating now is better, I had scrambled eggs and hash browns for breakfast and Mac & Cheese for lunch so the additional calories help with getting energy. My first appointment is in 2 days so I'll post a pic then.
Replies (3)
April 28, 2017
Pls update us with your numbness progress, I'm scheduled for a lower overbite surgery in July and I'm so scared to lose feeling! How could u eat the eggs? Can u open your mouth? Do you drool when you eat? Can you drink from a cup? Sorry too many questions
April 28, 2017
Hey there! As far as the numbness the first day half of your face is basically numb because of the surgery but after that the numbness is reduced to just your chin area. It's basically from one end of your bottom lip to the other end and runs down to just below your chin. That part is numb but you do get some weird feelings as the nerve heals. Think of a combination of itching sensations, pressure, and a little burning & spasm. It doesn't really bother too much except a couple of nights as I was trying to sleep it was acting up and bothering a little.
As far as eating you basically eat nothing the first 2 days because you're in the hospital and it really hungry. I had rubber bands in my mouth, no wires so I could talk right away after I woke up from surgery. I had the surgery on Tuesday, went home on Wednesday, and Thursday night I was eating mashed potatoes and oatmeal. Friday morning I had scrambled eggs...you eat with a baby spoon as your mouth doesn't open very much and you basically swallow without chewing. By Monday I was able to chew some things. On day 7 I even had a donut in the mornings...no pain at all. It feels weird because you have to get adjusted to the new bite but it's fine. Today is day 9 and I had a smoothie for breakfast, ravioli for lunch, and a Nutella sandwich & ice cream for dinner. I've lost 15 pounds since the surgery. I found it pretty easy to drink from a regular cup, just go slow. No you don't drool around you just have to be careful because your bottom lip is swollen and bump so you can't feel anything running down and when I had a frosty from Wendy's this weekend I got a bunch on my shirt because I didn't feel it dropping down. Haha!
April 29, 2017
Thank u for getting back to me! I had my braces on since a year, I had malocclusion type 2 overbite, but didn't bother at all! My problem was noticeable gaps in my lower teeth, and once my ortho closed the gaps my bite got worse! I regret going through this plan instead of having two implants as Iam scared to lose sensation, and drool during the recovery, I just hear horrible stories on YouTube! I wonder how u could chew that quick! My orthodontist said I can't chew before 2 weeks and it should be soft food! You gave me a push to go for the surgery. Hope you a comfortable recovery
April 29, 2017
Each person reacts and heals differently. I had regular pasta yesterday (day 9) and I had some salmon for dinner tonight. The pain was minimal...much less than expected. The feeling will come back gradually.
April 29, 2017
Oh yes...I can chew just fine, just nothing hard yet. I even had a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. No problem. No drooling.
April 29, 2017
Wow... do you encourage me to go for it? You're recovering is amazingly fast!
May 1, 2017
Hi. How is your progress so far? Do you keep your elastic bands all the time? I hope your getting better
May 1, 2017
I usually keep the elastic bands in 18-20 hours per day. They're pretty tight so your teeth and mouth gets sore easily. I'm on day 12 and as far as eating goes you can basically eat anything that requires light or moderate chewing. I had a chicken wrap and French fries today with no issues other than my mouth getting a bit tired towards the end. At times my chin is a bit bothersome with the tingling sensations but it means the nerve is healing and "waking up" so it's ok. Hopefully I get most of my feeling back in the next 30 days...we'll see.
May 3, 2017
I'm optimistic you will recover soon! I became excited to do my surgery too. Can't wait to feel my teeth touch together and get a better profile. Today was my last day at grad school and feel happy. I had chicken rap today too, but no fri s. Lol
September 3, 2018
Can you tell me more about the zingers? I am 5 days post op and feel like I have a stabbing zapping pain in my jaw/lip every now and then. I believe it is nerve pain. It also jolted me out of bed it was so bad last night. How long did you need the medicine for the nerve pain? Do you still experience it? Thanks in advance
I had my surgery 6 weeks ago! Fully numb from lower lip down to chin! I also feel there's asymmetry problem after the surgery, like my right side is stick out more than the left, will discuss with my surgeon. Hopefully it's swollen