Stretching your mouth open...

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#1 Post by **teresa5855** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:41 pm

Hi, I'm almost 6 weeks post op. I had upper and lower jaw surgery to fix an overjet, cant and occusal plane tilt. Anyway, in the manual that the surgeon gave me for post-op directions, it said that by the 3rd week you should have stretched your mouth open to 3 finger widths. My mouth isn't even 3 finger widths now at 6 weeks! I saw my surgeon today and he said it's fine, he's seen worse but I asked him 'if I were to never stretch my mouth open, to leave it, would it stay like this forever?' He said it would due to scar tissue forming. So now I'm kind of scared and I've been stretching my mouth open all day but I haven't noticed any progress, just hope it's not too late. Anyone else with this experience, any problems...? My sister, who never had surgery for anything has never been able to open her mouth very wide, at all. I just want to be back to normal. How much stretching, how often? Any advice would be appreciated. thx

#2 Post by **katmpet** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:55 pm

Sorry I haven't been checking in lately so not sure if this advice is of any use to you or not but perhaps to someone else. A great place to practice "stretching" your mouth is in the shower-really going slowly and if your OS has given you the green light. Also using moist heat and then trying works well. Did your OS give you any kind of sticks etc to help in the stretching? Mine gave me tongue depressor sticks and literally gave me 21 of them and said that is your goal. It was work and I hated them but it helps in getting those muscles moving. I have also gone for physio for my ROM and swear by it. I am back to preop opening and feeling fine

#3 Post by **chrisk** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:51 am

Hi,

I'm nearly 9 months post-op and was given NO instructions/exercises to regain my range of motion. I had upper jaw surgery and a cant levelled, lower jaw surgery and genioplasty, and before surgery could open my mouth about 3 fingerwidths wide.

I wouldn't worry too much. My surgeon said that normal use would regain full range of motion and I'm almost (by about 2mm) back at 3 fingerwidths wide.

#4 Post by **pk_girl** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:50 pm

I am one and a half weeks and I can fit two finger widths between my jaws.
I ama chatterbox, so I think this has assisted the extending.