How long were those of you in a splint?

[tbarr15]

Hey everyone,

I am on day 17 of post-op after having upper jaw surgery. I have a splint on my top teeth and I was wondering how long you guys were in your splint if you even had one? I am supposed to go see my surgery on the 17th which will be the 3 week mark.

Thanks!

[Arvensis]

I had upper jaw surgery and I had a splint for 6 weeks post-op. My OS said it would be 6-8 weeks with the splint, but he popped that puppy right out on week 6:)

[suetemi]

I'm also curious as I'll get one after my Lefort. How's talking with the splint? Do you just get used to it after a while, like you do with braces? Does it make it difficult to close the mouth comfortably? How/where is it attached? Is it hooked up to the molar bands, or is it actually attached to the upper palate somehow?

Thanks.

[Emaciated]

I got mine out at my 3-week post-op follow up.

How's talking with the splint?

You sound like a moron and spit on people you're speaking to. You also still drool if I recall.

Do you just get used to it after a while, like you do with braces?

Sure you get used to it, you get used to talking like a moron and spitting on people.

Does it make it difficult to close the mouth comfortably?

I don't remember it being uncomfortable, just annoying. Its definitely in-the-way of things, but if you're like me, you'll be so glad to have your mouth unwired that the splint is a walk in the park.

How/where is it attached?

Its wired into your surgical hooks which are added to your braces shortly before surgery. Its not wired into your jaw, just to the braces themselves.

Is it hooked up to the molar bands?

In my case, I got hooks added to every single bracket and every single bracket had a wire which connected to the splint. Then they just cut all those wires and the splint pops out, along with all the 3-week old soup, slime, and other food particles that have been stuck in there the whole time you've been wearing it.

[Arvensis]

I don't remember spitting on anyone, but perhaps they were just too polite to mention it;) I talked with a lisp for a bit with the splint but by the end of the 6 weeks it wasn't so bad.

I DID hear an interesting story about a guy I met in class last semester, who was asking around about "that girl with the cute lisp!" until someone was like, "dude, you know she just had jaw surgery, right???"

[smile2006]

In conjunction with upper jaw surgery I also had my palate widened (at the same time). I had a splint with a bar across the middle of it to hold the expansion of the palate. I had it for 6 weeks and I have to say cleaning and eating were totally annoying. Definately get a water pic although immediately after surgery you can't use it. Diet wise everything was a type of watery mush for me which got really old. Combine numbness with swelling and that thing in my mouth, talking was very difficult but like everything you make it though!

[Raspberry]

I had my splint for a little over 5 weeks. It was connected to my top braces by two wires. It did make me talk with a lisp, but after a bit i got used to positioning my tongue so that i didn't lisp too much, only on certain words.

[loyaltydeath]

I had my splint for a little over 3 weeks 24 days to be exact and boy was it a sigh of relief...after i got rid of it i was able to talk better and eat a lot better.

[cmeyer115]

My splint came out on my first check up (5 days) due to excess swelling moving it from the proper position. I thought I was lucky but now I feel worse since they have me on a no chew diet since the surgery (21 May) until at least 2 July. I guess it's easier tho, since straining is not needed. Hope all is well, take care!

[tbarr15]

Hey all,

thanks for replying. I just got back from my 3 week post-op check up. I will be getting my splint out during my next visit (2 weeks from now)

Sounds like 5 weeks is the average time for most people