r/jawsurgery • • Oct 24 '19

After Surgery

539 Upvotes

This post is dedicated to important information to know for after jaw surgery. I will edit the post to include the information people give in response to this post. Categories include:

If you have any recommendations for before/after “categories” please PM me.

What to expect during recovery

Items to have after surgery

Good foods after surgery (liquid and soft)

What to expect during recovery

Do not underestimate recovery, especially the first 3-4 days!!

When you initially wake up you'll be drugged to high hell. Nothing is really bad or good, it's a blur. When the drugs wear off things get bad. Very bad. Your nose swells shut so you'll be breathing through your mouth, which will be closed in its own way (bands or wires). Congestion will be common for a week or more. This makes breathing difficult and tedious. Take care to keep your teeth free of "gunk" you might accumulate from the dried bits of your liquid diet. The sludge can block the small spaces between your teeth making it more difficult to breath. The majority of your face from your eyes down will be very numb. This numbness will last for weeks in some places and months in others. There will be blood, and lots of it. Your mouth will be pouring out gallons of blood, and the rest will be flowing out your nose. The immense amount of blood from your mouth will stop within a few days, as will most of the blood from your nose, but nose bleeds will be quite common for longer. Vomiting up blood is pretty common. Remain calm and let it seep from between your teeth. If you followed surgery instruction and didn't consume anything before the surgery this shouldn't be a problem, though it can be unsettling. Hot and cold flashes may occur. Do what you can to make yourself comfortable. Expect a decreased appetite and slow digestive tract. I recommend drinking a bit of prune juice before you have your first bowel movement. Also expect low energy from your low appetite, your concoction of drugs (anesthesia and post-surgery pain killers), and very poor sleep. You will sleep poorly. You'll have general pain in your throat and jaw, but this is usually tolerable with painkillers. You'll have difficulty swallowing at first. This will get better progressively. What that means to each person is different. I was swallowing the morning after surgery, but my friend couldn't swallow for 5 days.

Items to have after surgery

Ice packs and a heating pad. Use ice packs the first couple of days (important) to reduce swelling and the heating pad to reduce bruising. *A blender and strainer. Sinus rinse (ask doctor before use). A neck pillow to help with sleeping upright. A jaw bra might make you more comfortable. Large syringes to help eat/drink. You'll be eating everything through a syringe for awhile, and refilling a small syringe 8 times to finish a small bowl of soup gets annoying. A heated humidifier. Cotton swabs to clean blood clots from nose. Cotton pads to clean your face. *A child's toothbrush. Your face will be stiff and painful. The smaller tooth brush lets you clean parts your larger toothbrush simply won't be able to reach. Ibuprofen/other painkiller. These should be provided for you after your surgery. Getting additional may be necessary. Vaseline for lips. Tissues for your general cleaning, which there will be plenty of. Oral care sponge swabs for cleaning teeth with chlorohexidine.

Good foods after surgery (liquid and soft)


r/jawsurgery • • Jul 04 '22

These ‘Do i need jaw surgery’ posts are getting out of hand

1.5k Upvotes

I can’t even read this subreddit anymore or give emotional support to people going through this without scrolling through the horde of perfectly developed, but body dysmorphic teenagers posting & asking for opinions on whether or not they need a major, risky and invasive jaw surgery.

It’s like a laughable joke. Going through this— 6 weeks of liquid diet, weeks of opioids and pain, permanent numbness, retraining practically all of the essential functions in your mouth area, years of swelling and years of mental anguish just at a CHANCE for better health-- to improve breathing, chewing, swallowing and speech, sleep apnea or the chance to eliminate future complete tooth decay. All of this- just to see someone treating this as if it’s a simple cosmetic procedure.

It hasn’t bothered me before but it seems to keep getting worse. I don’t know what’s causing it, or where people keep getting the idea that they need jaw surgery, but it is out of control. I would have 0 clue about this surgery had I not been told over and over and over again by every dentist, orthodontist and eventual surgeon I visited that I needed to get this done.

I know it’s too much to ask for a mod to just auto-delete these posts because they view it as a core part of the subreddit, but can we at least get a filter slapped on to it or something so we can filter it out? I come on here to find experiences I relate to- after having to go through this hellish process- or just to offer emotional support to people in the early days or answer good, reasonable questions. I think, though, that if i see one more perfectly developed, forward grown, perfect bite class I kid ask if they need a lefort 3 and 14 other surgeries I will just leave and never come back.


r/jawsurgery • • 17h ago

Before & After One month post op !

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298 Upvotes

I got the surgery on September 3rd! 🩷


r/jawsurgery • • 4h ago

Anyone notice bots commenting recently?

11 Upvotes

I've noticed comments that are obviously written by AI. What do bots gain from posting here?

"Cannot verify dutch from an x-ray but a 10mm jaw move is basically a citizenship change anyway"

"Clooney got paid millions for his lopsided jaw so the asymmetry is basically a subscription perk"

"Underbite folks get the best glow ups and 4 years of braces is basically a PHD in patience"


r/jawsurgery • • 10h ago

Joined the club

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40 Upvotes

r/jawsurgery • • 4h ago

3 weeks post DJS - my experience

12 Upvotes

Hey, im coming up on 4 weeks post DJS + genioplasty, this reddit helped me a lot getting through the first week, so I thought i'd try share my experience for anyone going through the first week now or has surgery coming up

The first thing is, I underestimated how bad the first week would be. The first night especially was really horrible, time went extremely slow, I could only breathe through my mouth and as a result i scabbed badly around my lips, and got 0 sleep. The first 6 nights were rough, getting gradually better and for me personally worse on night 5 and 6. Just struggling to sleep, struggling to breathe and an absolutely foul taste in my mouth that made me want to puke. As well as the sleep, I found it really difficult to get any calories in. I'm currently down around 5kg from what I weighed before. Focusing was extremely difficult too, I wasn't able to play on my Switch or watch Netflix.

Now that that's the hard part. At day 7, for some reason I immediately had a good nights sleep, my breathing went back to normal and my lips healed. Best of all, the foul taste was gone and I was finally able to hop off the medication I was taking, which I had to wake up for several times in the night. I had energy and was wanting to do things I enjoy again. Since then its been really smooth sailing, aside from greatly missing solid foods.

I remember the first week I was feeling like I made a mistake because of how difficult it was, but once you get past it It honestly gets so much better, and the result I am extremely pleased with, I finally was able to fix what had made me feel insecure for so long with my underbite. I would definitely say now looking back that I have zero regrets, I'm not sure if others found it easier but for me it was extremely difficult, but still fully worth it. My face is still fairly swollen, but from the side I see the clear improvement already, and I think it wouldn't be noticeable to someone that I've just underwent surgery anymore.

My advice would be to make sure you're with someone you can trust who will take care of you the first week, I underestimated how important that was but fortunately my girlfriend was able to take care of me. It's difficult but trust me that it gets better quick once you pass the first week. What helped me as well was seeing people posting daily updates on their jaw surgery journey, giving me faith that it would not be so difficult for much longer. I hope this can be helpful for someone out there, I wanted to give something back to this reddit! :)


r/jawsurgery • • 14h ago

DJS for underbite: I’m terrified

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49 Upvotes

I’ve been going through the process of braces with the eventual outcome to have double jaw surgery to fix and underbite (on the NHS in the UK). I had a routine braces check up appointment today and was advised that I could be getting my jaw surgery march 2027 which after a 4 and half year journey was abit of a shock.

I’m not massively insecure about my underbite but it does cause some functional issues. I’m terrified of the getting the surgery. I’m scared of how it’s going to change my face, I know the change to my jaw will be positive but the changes it can cause to the rest of my face (nose and symmetry) scares me. I know it sounds daft but I’m scared that I won’t like my new face and that my boyfriend won’t like it either (daft I know). With me not being massively insecure the thought of change is scary because I don’t necessarily want to look too different.

My question to you is would it be worth it?

The photos I have attached are photos I e taken of my self and photos other people have taken of me. I feel like in selfies you can barely notice it. But in photos other people take you can? It’s so distracting not knowing how you look!


r/jawsurgery • • 14h ago

Before & After 1 month post surgery

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36 Upvotes

Today is exactly one month since my bimax. Today I saw my orthodontist for the first time and she also recommended for me to go for a second opinion to an oral surgeon for the asymmetry and whether my maxilla is centred. I’m still worried that I look worse now due to the look of my upper lip, nose and because I feel like my upper jaw was moved forward however lower stayed recessed and downward, but I also understand that there’s still swelling. Last 2 are before surgery. Does anyone have any good recommendations for surgeons or hospitals for revision surgery in the Netherlands, I would appreciate some advice.


r/jawsurgery • • 1h ago

Advice for Me DJS advice for a tongue thruster?

• Upvotes

Hello! Im currently in the process to finally start getting the plans made to undergo DJS. I am 30 years old and my whole life i have been a tongue thruster, ive had this ugly habit since i was 8-10 years old and definitley contributed to my underbite and overbite that im getting surgery for. I never went to therapy to fix the habit and im scared that it will make recovery horrible and that it could potentially undo everything the surgeon made!

Im pretty poor with support from my family but they are also struggling with money. I have found one place that does oral-motor therapy that my medical insurance can cover but its really far away and my schedule is incredibly busy as is. Should i try to go for therapy before getting surgery? Any tongue thrusters out there that had DJS or LJS? Any and all advice is apreciated.

(Also excuse my grammar, english is my second language)


r/jawsurgery • • 9h ago

Teeth are aligned, but jaw looks lopsided.

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13 Upvotes

Hi, I’m wondering if it’s possible to have asymmetrical jaw without misalignment in teeth. It’s weird because my lips don’t align naturally even though my teeth do. I think that’s what I might have but have not yet gone to get x ray. So was wondering if anyone could answer before I go


r/jawsurgery • • 10h ago

4 Hours Post Op

10 Upvotes

Hi all, had DJS under NHS. Been waiting for 6 years for this. Currently 4 and a half hours after surgery and I feel better than expected. I thought I’d be in immense pain but they have managed the pain extremely well.
Any advice for once I’m home would be great. I’ve got all essentials, electrolytes, ensure plus, wedge pillow but please suggest things I may not have even thought of that helped you all. Thank you so much ❤️


r/jawsurgery • • 1h ago

Advice for Me Tired of biting my cheek

• Upvotes

I'm 1 week post OP and since my face swelled up a lot and I have braces it was inevitable that I'd end up with abrasions on the inside of my cheeks from me biting down on them. It's been mostly tolerable, but there's one side in particular, at the very back of my mouth, that is really annoying and hurts when I try to open my mouth. I told my surgeon about it since I thought it was a stitch pulling on that spot but nope, it's just me biting on the skin there because it keeps getting pushed back in due to the swelling.

Today I went to (very carefully) brush my teeth and I spat out some blood. Turns out it's coming from that corner. It stopped bleeding after a few minutes, but now I'm afraid I'll bite on it again and again and reopen the wound every time. Should I be concerned? Is it something that could get infected? Is there anything I can do to prevent it from getting chewed on again?


r/jawsurgery • • 10h ago

36M – Severe sleep apnea has destroyed my life. How much advancement can my face realistically handle without looking unnatural?

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9 Upvotes

​

I'm a 36-year-old male, and severe obstructive sleep apnea (ahi 39)has completely destroyed my quality of life.

For years, I've struggled with terrible sleep, constant awakenings, choking sensations, and the feeling that my airway is collapsing every time I start falling asleep. It has reached a point where I can barely function normally anymore. My entire life revolves around trying to breathe and get some decent sleep.

I recently underwent a DISE (Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy), which confirmed multilevel airway collapse, including:

Complete (100%) tongue base collapse

Secondary epiglottic collapse, caused by my tongue base pushing the epiglottis backward

Additional obstruction at multiple levels of my upper airway

I've tried pretty much everything I can think of, including:

CPAP, including experimenting with different pressures and many masks

Mandibular advancement device (MAD) which really did a big improvement but many side effects/pain/headaches

Myofunctional therapy

Various breathing exercises and positional adjustments

Unfortunately, nothing has provided a sustainable solution.

I'm now seriously considering maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery with counterclockwise (CCW) rotation, specifically to address my severe airway obstruction

At this point, my priority is being able to breathe and sleep normally again. However, I'm also concerned about the aesthetic consequences of large skeletal advancements.

My questions are:

Based on my facial structure, how much maxillary and mandibular advancement do you think I could aesthetically tolerate before looking unnatural?

Would CCW rotation potentially allow for greater airway improvement without excessively advancing my midface?

For those who had complete tongue base collapse and secondary epiglottic collapse, did MMA resolve these issues?

Would you prioritize maximum airway expansion even if it meant compromising facial aesthetics?

I'm not expecting anyone to replace a qualified maxillofacial surgeon. I'm simply interested in hearing opinions and experiences, especially from people who have undergone large advancements.

I genuinely feel like I've lost my life to this condition, and I'm desperate to get it back.

I don't care about achieving some perfect model-like jawline. I just want to breathe normally, sleep through the night, and still recognize myself in the mirror.

Any advice or personal experiences would mean a lot.


r/jawsurgery • • 6h ago

Advice for Me Jaw assymetry

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4 Upvotes

Is it normal to have that kind of jaw assymetry? Like one side is longer and more defined, I also have this weird gulp when resting my tongue up, which I dont have on other side. Nobody seems to have a solid answer, but Ik theres something off about my profile


r/jawsurgery • • 2h ago

Advice for Me Am I a candidate?

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2 Upvotes

Multiple times I’ve been told either I have a under bite or “do you have a underbite?” but i don’t my bites aligned yet my upper lip has near no support. Ive wished i could have surgery for this for years now but my symptoms are all aesthetic i don’t have breathing or sleep issue but I have severe downward growth a gummy smile no upper lip or mid face support. Genuinely what do I do can I get covered or am i forced to pay out of pocket?


r/jawsurgery • • 17m ago

Advice for Me Concerns about TMJ replacement

• Upvotes

Hi ☺️. I am scheduled for lower jaw surgery and bilateral Tmj replacement next year due to severe degenerative arthritis. Aside from the surgery being scary, I’m worried about the prosthetic joint not feeling natural. I’ve read you can’t move your jaw side to side or even forward and back- just up and down. For those who have gone through this, what does it feel like? Thank you so much!!


r/jawsurgery • • 6h ago

Advice for Me Do i have any jaw problems?

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3 Upvotes

I'm sixteen years old and i very often struggle with not being able to take normal breaths through my nose, therefore having to switch to mouthbreathing atleast for that one breath. I also always mouth breathe while sleeping. Comparing my side profile to other people who also have jaw problems i see some similarities, tho i have no bite problem, so idk if maybe i should look into something else.


r/jawsurgery • • 5h ago

Advice for Me Preventative surgery?

2 Upvotes

My whole family has sleep apnea, and I’m wondering if I should consider preventive jaw surgery before I develop it myself. I’m pretty lean, around 6’0 and 141 lbs, and I feel like the only reason my airway looks large is because I’m skinny. I’ve also been told I might have some mandibular recession. My sleep studies have been mostly normal, but I still have concerns about my sleep quality. Is preventive BSSO or MMA worth considering in a situation like this, or would it be unnecessary without confirmed sleep apnea? Curious what you guys think.


r/jawsurgery • • 7h ago

Americans, how did you get DJS covered with no sleep apnea? Is it possible?

3 Upvotes

So I have a horribly recessed upper jaw and lower jaw. My side profile looks awful and I have lip incompetence, chin shadows, and absolutely no jawline definition. Undereyes are awful too because of recessed maxilla. Not to mention, I’ve never weighed more than 120 lbs in my life but because of no jawline my face just looks fat.

I used to have a bad overbite but had braces and premolars extracted when I was a kid so now my bite is normal.

I did a home sleep study that was completely normal. Now they are saying there is no functional need for surgery and if I want to pay out of pocket it will be 60k at least


r/jawsurgery • • 8h ago

Upper & Lower Jaw Surgery: How would my face shape change?

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3 Upvotes

Hello! I’m starting my dental work journey and I do plan to get teeth extracted + braces. However, my ortho had referred me for orthognathic surgery to fix my open bite.

My jaw surgeon said that they would need to work on the upper and lower jaw. For anyone who’s gone through this, do you guys think fixing it would make my face look longer? I’m particularly worried about my chin looking longer as I wouldn’t want that to happen 🥲


r/jawsurgery • • 2h ago

Advice for Me Advice post-op

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I had DJS 7 days ago and am looking for some advice. I’m past the peak swelling period which I think was around day 3-4, and now I’m just looking very yellow and swollen 😂

- At what point post-op did you have to stop taking pain medication?
- If you were studying (I’m at university) how long did it take you to be able to concentrate and go back to study?
- At what point did you stop using ice packs? I’ve seen lots of stuff about switching from ice packs to heat compresses and not sure if I should stop using ice packs?
- Is sinus pain / pressure around cheeks normal?


r/jawsurgery • • 11h ago

Advice for Others Dressing Removal Torture? Get Goo Gone for Skin

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4 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m 8 days post-op now and one big surprise was how difficult the chin dressing was going to be to remove. I’m not sure if these are common for everyone, but I had a genioplasty and had to wear it for five days. Trying to pull it off on my new jaws and especially on my bruised neck was torture!!!! I eventually found Goo Gone for Skin and just doused each millimeter of the wrap in it and, while it still took awhile, it came off much more gently than with just warm water alone. Any medical adhesive remover would be better than just trying to power through. I didn’t know of this genre before this week, but passing it along in case it helps. Happy healing, everyone!


r/jawsurgery • • 7h ago

Pulling sensation in my lip when I press on my back molars. Anyone else experienced this?

2 Upvotes

r/jawsurgery • • 13h ago

Advice for Me How to overcome the fear of jaw surgery

6 Upvotes

Hello !

I am a determined yet completely afraid girl, and I need feedbacks !

A few years ago, I was told I needed jaw surgery (my lower jaw is recessed). I was so afraid that I refused it completely and just carried on with my life.

But the ortho who recommended it warned me that my teeth were more likely to wear down and my gums to recede, so I always kept it in the back of my mind, thinking I'd eventually need it, just later.

Now that I'm almost 30, I'm sick of not doing something good for myself out of fear ! I want to stop feeling insecure about my profile, and my gums are starting to feel very thin around my front teeth.

I think it's time, but I'm freaking out. I have a surgeon's appointment in november and I can't stop thinking about it. I already had my ortho appointement with x-rays and impressions.

My ortho said I'd need four premolar extractions to decompensate, because my teeth are very flared out.

Having four teeth pulled and then undergoing surgery feels like such a life-changing experience, and I'm terrified. I'm scared of the anesthesia (the loss of control), of having my jaw wired shut, and of the pain. I am starting to "accept" Lower jaw surgery but if the surgeon tells me I need DJS I might freak out even more.

Every time I see someone who's had JS, I think they're a superhero and that I'm absolutely not capable of doing the same !!

I feel i'm going crazy because here in France dentists and ortho keep telling me it's nothing, it's a very basic and well-done surgery. While i don't doubt that surgeons do it very well multiple Times a day, it's not my understanding that on the patient POV it is something to take lightly... Some people even say it is the most challenging thing they have done. I feel like doctors, even very sweet ones, dont understand the fear... And that makes me feel bad and not very brave.

Has anyone been through this surgery after being very scared at first ? Did you have a trigger/wake-up call to finaly start the process or did you start by ignoring the fear and jump ?


r/jawsurgery • • 12h ago

Advice for Me Smile still shallow after MSE, Double jaw surgery and invisilign. Need advice + solutions please

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4 Upvotes

I've had MSE expansion which expanded my upper palate from 34-39mm, double jaw surgery which moved my upper jaw forward 10mm, and currently in the middle of invisilign where I have elastics to extrude my upper molars lower. I feel like my smile still feels extremely shallow and my back teeth and canines are too high.

My incisors are also still slightly flare as my upper jaw still feel recessed so they flare to compensate. I'm genuinely so frustrated having tried so many options to achieve a genuinely full smile as close as I can to the last few photos as reference. I unfortunately had premolars removed when I was a child, and this has been my long journey to try to not only reverse that, but gain a full smile.

Please are there any orthodontic or other options that could project my upper teeth, completely upright them, lower my molars and canines significantly. I've looked into SFOT but unsure how that would work with my short roots and screws in my upper jaw from DJS. I'm looking into veneers as a last resort but after all of this effort I want to really pursue any intervention to achieve as much fullness as I can with my natural teeth. Any and every advice is appreciated.