Day 1 (Surgery Day)
- Banded shut on the sides and unable to open mouth at all
- Drinking and "eating" will be done through a straw and/or syringe
- Talking will be difficult and hurt after awhile, so I try to just rest and use a pencil and paper
- Peeing is difficult and takes longer than usual due to the catheter
- A little nauseous
- There is a bit of pain, but it usually feels more like soreness than it does hurting
- Lower face will be extremely numb and swollen
- Throat is sore and very dry
- There is dried blood in nose from the breathing tube
- Breathing isn't as difficult as anticipated
- Lips will be peeling and cracking
- Drinking through a straw is easy if you put it in the side of your mouth and not the front
- Everyone reacts to anesthesia differently, but that was the worst part of Day 1 for me
- Said funny things and didn't remember them until later
Day 2
- Talking is not really possible
- Swelling increases
- Bruises will begin to appear (if they have not already)
- Soreness in the neck, back, and shoulders may occur
- Peeing is back to normal
- Throat is beginning to feel better
- Lips will still be dry
- Sleeping is more like naps throughout the day
- Some feeling is starting to return
Day 3
- Feeling frustrated by not being able to talk or open mouth
- Swelling has peaked and decreases with the use of heat
- Bruises appear to be worse
- Sleeping will be a little easier
- Pain is tolerable
- Hunger from lack of sustenance sets in
Day 4
- Swelling is beginning to decrease, especially after switching to heat
- Sleeping is even easier, but it is painful to put any pressure on my face
Day 7 (1 Week)
- Sensations occur in numb areas
- You should have had your first post-op visit with your surgeon by now, if not soon
- Tenderness in the jawline may have decreased
- Taking a shower is exhausting, but makes you feel better
- Pain medication is needed after waking up
- Bruising is at its worse
- Sucking through a straw is easier
- Drinking from a cup should be possible, just watch the liquid since you can't feel it dripping down your chin
Day 10
- Mouth is still tightly banded shut and on a liquid/puréed diet
- Sleeping through the night should no longer be an issue
- Pain medications do not need to be used regularly anymore
- Inside of the mouth will be sore due to the hooks and rubber bands in your mouth that are rubbing the inside of your cheeks. Use sea salt water rinses to alleviate this soreness
Day 14 (2 Weeks)
- Chin and lower lip will still be numb
- Teeth are sore and feel like you just had an orthodontist adjustment
- If your bands are still tight, they should be loosened very soon
- Sleeping on your side (and accidentally your face) is not painful on most occurrences
- Most of your stitches should have either fallen out or dissolved by now
- The part of your jawline outside of the incision sites will still be a little tender
- Drinking through a straw is easier
- Talking is more understandable, but not as clear as it would be if you could move your mouth
- Mouth is less sore than day 10
- There is probably at least one hook in your mouth that is causing discomfort
- Energy level is still low
- I personally stopped losing weight at this point and even gained back a pound
- Bruises are still there, but have significantly faded
Day 16
- You should be able to start changing your bands about now, which means you are no longer "wired" shut
- Talking will be clearer and almost sound like normal
- Eating soft foods will be a challenge and exhausting
- Still not aloud to chew
- Diet is still mainly liquid
- Talking with no bands/loose bands will feel awkward and your face will feel stiff as you speak
- You should be able to get one finger in your mouth with the bands off
- Incision sites should be healed by now
- Talking without your jaws immobilized quickly makes your jaw muscles sore and tired
- You will discover habits you had prior to surgery when it comes to the ways you moved and positioned your lower jaw. When you move your jaw these ways, it will feel uncomfortable
- You can fit pills between your teeth now, so the liquid medications are no longer the only thing you can take
Day 17
- You will be able to open your mouth wide enough to fit 1.5 fingers, which means a small toothbrush will fit into your mouth so you can clean every bit of your teeth and tongue
- Keeping your mouth this wide open while brushing will be very tiring for your muscles, so be gentle, especially when you go toward the back molars
- Fitting in a fork will be easier
- Talking will feel a little less awkward
- Yawning hurts
Day 21 (3 Weeks)
- Energy levels will finally be going up since you will be eating some soft non-liquid foods
- Still not allowed to chew
- Numbness has not changed
- Eating should be faster than when you first started
- Talking will be back to normal, but may feel weird if your lower lip is numb
- Bruises are completely gone
- Your weight should be going back up to where it was prior to surgery
- Teeth are still sore
- Still need to use wax on surgical hooks
- Able to open mouth wide enough to fit two fingers (before surgery I could fit four fingers, so half way there)
- Lips will still be a bit dry and peel a little, but no where near as bad as the beginning of recovery
Day 28 (4 Weeks)
- Yawning will no longer hurt
- Lips are still dry
- Eating is much better, but still have 2 more weeks of the "no chew" diet
- First visit to the orthodontist won't have any pain, but the elastics will be strong and will make your teeth sore for a couple of days. Which is not too big of a deal since you cannot chew anyway
- Only about 6 months left of braces
- No bills have come in as of now, but if your insurance company has an online claims board you should be able to see what has been submitted and whether or not it has been processed
- Elastics are being worn 24/7 except when eating and brushing (for at least the next two months)
- Surgical hooks are gone
- Numbness has not changed, but random sensations occur in numb areas
- Still only able to fit two fingers in mouth
- Only a little residual swelling will remain, but it is only noticeable to the trained eye
- It can take 2-3 more months for feeling to return and 100% of swelling to go down
- Incision sites are for sure healed and all stitches should be out
- Scar tissue will be tough, but this is only temporary
- Aside from eating and numbness, life is back to normal
1 Month
- More and more sensations are occurring in numb areas
- Numbness has not changed
- Diet is so much better than before as you have become used to eating solid food without chewing
- Talking is 100% back to normal and no longer feels awkward
35 Days (5 Weeks)
- Burning and sharp pains in numb areas are continuing to increase
- Jaw muscles will be sore from talking and eating of new foods
- Lips still need to be kept moisturized
- 3 fingers can almost fit in mouth
- There is still residual swelling
- Teeth are moving to new places, so the brackets are rubbing sores inside the mouth
- All bills have been posted, but still no idea exactly how much the out-of-pocket cost is
- Energy levels are almost back to normal
- One more week until chewing can commence!
Day 42 (6 Weeks)
- Halfway through initial recovery!
- Chewing can begin, but nothing too hard (no steak, apples, etc.)
- 3 fingers can now fit
- Lips are almost back to normal
- Energy is back to normal
- Sensations in numb areas are more intense then ever
- Feeling is beginning to return in the stubborn numb areas
- By now, it's easy to forget you even had surgery
Day 49 (7 Weeks)
- 3 fingers can comfortably fit
- Less sensations in numb areas compared to last week
- Lips can still be really dry if some sort of balm is not applied at least a couple of times a day
- Chewing has been allowed for a week and it feels awkward, but gets better as the week goes on
- A little more, not much though, feeling has come back in numb areas
- No pain or soreness while chewing (start soft and work your way up to minimize pain and discomfort)
- Diet is 90% back to normal
Day 56 (8 Weeks)
- Not much has changed this week
- Lips are not as dry and are almost back to normal
- Diet is now 100% back to normal
- 10% of swelling remains
- Numbness is moving around and the sensations are more painful
Day 63 (9 Weeks)
- Lips are finally back to normal
- Numbness is unchanged
- Jaw is still tender and massages feel nice
Day 70 (10 Weeks)
- Eating is only limited by braces, biting into food is not longer uncomfortable or painful
- Numbness is still unchanged
- Mouth opens 95% of the way
Day 77 (11 Weeks)
- Sensations in numb areas continue
- Final stages of braces
Day 84 (12 Weeks)
- Nothing new. Same sensations occurring in numb areas and no more feeling has returned yet
3 Months Post-Op
- Bones are 100% healed and fused together
- Nerves are still healing
- Sensations in numb areas are a little painful
- Mouth opening is almost back to where it was before surgery
4 Months Post-Op
- It feels strange to brush bottom row of teeth because of the nerve feeling starting to come back in gums
- Bottom left half of lip is about 75% numb
- Area right below left half of lip is also about 75% numb
- The rest of the left half of chin is 100% numb
- When jaw pops, it is sore for a couple days after
- Mouth opens 100% (four fingers width comfortably fit)
- Remember nerves take 6 to 9 months to heal and a full year for feeling to return
5 Months Post-Op
- Numbness is the same, but feeling is slowly starting to return
- Braces are off and the retainers are a full time thing
6 Months Post-Op
- Jaw is not popping as much
- Slight sensations of burning or poking in numb areas
- Teeth are a little sore from retainer
- Numbness has not changed, but is less noticeable
9 Months Post-Op
- Numbness has not changed, but sensations are still occurring in numb areas
- Teeth are no longer sore from braces removal and retainer
- Jaw popping has increased and is sometimes painful
1 Year Post-Op
- Still numb... but can no longer notice it
- Sensations are still occurring in numb areas
- Jaw popping has decreased and is usually not painful