ive been on a no chew for 10 weeks now as a result of all the infection and swelling etc. And i was wondering why my surgeon wont let me chew? What is the harm in chewing etc.
The reason im asking is that ive just cracked and half chewed/half sucked a chicken sandwich (i no i no, surgeons no best) in a moment of weakness!
It felt really weird, but not painful (and boy, did it taste good! lol) but now the deeds done im wondering if its poss ive done any harm. (dont see how, to be honest)
Braces on 11th June 2006,~ BSSO and Wisdom tooth removal 11th February 2008,~ Plate Removal 14th May 2008,~ Braces off 28th August 2008.
I can only give the reason my doc gave me and that was:
I had upper jaw surgery, 3-piece LeFort. My upper jaw was cut into 3-pieces to widen it. He said in 6-weeks it's healed enough to take the splint off, but not to bite into anything hard.
He said I would risk breaking the upper jaw off where it wasn't fully healed. That would entail another surgery with a bone graft and a 6 MONTH no chew diet to follow.
see i've been wondering for a while now why you haven't been moved to at least soft chew? There must be some reason I'm not aware of, and I know it has a lot to do with what you have done, i.e. the more you have done the less it seems like they want you to start chewing ASAP, but I know for usually like a BSSO in just a few days they're encouraging soft chew. Sometimes though it just seems to differ from doctor to doctor and case to case. I know you had that infection going, but it seems like they would let you chew soft things like pasta and bread, can you come out and just ask your surgeon 'why can't I soft chew??' that would be best.
That's odd; I would think you could start chewing by now! I was wired shut for 10 days after my surgery, so obviously there was no chewing happening then, but after I got the wires off I was told to start chewing gradually and slowly work my way towards normal eating. The first thing I ate was a piece of baked fish. It was so good!
I have asked them-everytime ive seen them! lol. Obviously all the time i was tightly banded i couldnt have chewed if i wanted too, but ive asked alot since.
They just mumble something about delayed union due too infection, in the way that docs do. Theyve also seemed to think that due to the swelling and infection thats still there, its weird me even wanting to chew.
Not that bothered by not chewing, just more concerned as to how naughty ive been ignoring his advice
Braces on 11th June 2006,~ BSSO and Wisdom tooth removal 11th February 2008,~ Plate Removal 14th May 2008,~ Braces off 28th August 2008.
Man, I feel for you loulou! I just got off of 5 weeks of no-chew and I was ready to gag if I had to drink one more Boost or Ensure.
If it makes you feel any better (maybe it will make you feel worse), chewing is a pain (literally). My first solid meal today after getting de-splinted and de-banded was cheese ravioli. I worked on 4 ravioli pieces for about 45 minutes and I think more of it was in my napkin than down my throat. And since my lower lip is numb I chewed on it a fair amount too. Tonight I had SpaghettiOs and didn't chew-- just kind of slurped. Much easier. This whole eating thing is for the birds.
Tonight I had SpaghettiOs and didn't chew-- just kind of slurped
I basically LIVED on SpaghettiO's for the last three weeks of my spint (weeks 3-6 post-op). I ate oatmeal for breakfast, and SpaghettiO's for lunch, snacks, and dinner;) hehe. SO yup.
BTW, I was also able to eat without much chewing the other similar products like the beefaroni or whatnot. AND if you overcook mac and cheese (like, literally, double or triple the cooking time on the pasta) it just melts in your mouth like spaghettiO's. I recommend the three cheese variety.
Of course now I'm so sick of pasta I haven't eaten any since February..
[8 Months, 4 days with Braces]
Braces off 4/17/2008 - Rockstar!
thanks for the tips im actually "eating" not too badly, as ive discovered that many things are able to be swallowed with no chewing if you attack them with a fork first! So i have been able to have things like spagetti, baked beans, shephards pie etc its just that i miss chewing!
Braces on 11th June 2006,~ BSSO and Wisdom tooth removal 11th February 2008,~ Plate Removal 14th May 2008,~ Braces off 28th August 2008.
I had my first post-op appointment yesterday (1 week since Leforte I and BSSO), and I asked my surgeon about how hard it would be to break a plate. He said it would be pretty hard to break one, but definitely possible if I chewed too soon. I know the plates are made of titanium, which is very strong, but they are also very, very thin and, from what I understand, they can't withstand the pressures of chewing until the bone has started to heal enough to support the plates. Loulou, as others have said, 10 weeks does sound like a long time to not even get to soft chew, so maybe there is something else with your particular case? My surgeon mentioned he had a patient who tried to eat a hot dog 2 months after surgery and broke a plate. I am assuming the guy or gal should have been on soft chew at the 2 month mark (I know I will be on soft chew for months 2 and 3--no chew for month 1). It doesn't sound like you did a whole lot of chewing with your sandwich, but I would probably talk to the doc again before giving it another whirl, just in case.
Yes, an actual hot dog! I did think that was kind of funny, but I guess the poor guy just decided after 2 months he needed a hot dog. Anyway, to everyone out there, please avoid eating hot dogs (the normal way) for several months!
I'm just surprised because... aren't hot dogs fairly soft?
BTW it took me an hour tonight to slurp down a can of chicken noodle soup (the chunky kind from Trader Joe's). But at least I "ate" the whole thing! I also discovered that picking up the bigger pieces with my fingers and pushing them through the opening between my teeth was easier than trying to get them off the spoon.
Funny how everyones surgeons has differnent opinions.
I know mines not concerned about me breaking a plate, as i asked him if i could go to disney paris at my last appointment and he said that. i could as long as i went BEFORE having the plate removed as afterwards my jaw will be abit more delicate for some time. His exact words were, "at this stage (10 weeks) the only way i could damage the plates would be if, i was to hit my jaw hard enough to break it ordinarally" (ie if id never had surgery and had a normal jaw bone)
Think in my case its more the movement of the chewing action and the forces this would put on my jaw joints, then any concern about the plates.
In my case it is due to complications and infection that im still unable to chew, my surgeon normally has people chewing again after a couple of weeks at the most. (starting soft obviously!)
Braces on 11th June 2006,~ BSSO and Wisdom tooth removal 11th February 2008,~ Plate Removal 14th May 2008,~ Braces off 28th August 2008.
As you know Im approaching the 3 month post op mark and Im still struggling to chew
I have been let on to a chew diet (still relatively soft but its still chewing) since my 2 month appointment
However it is a major struggle
The left side of my mouth is better than the right as my teeth actually meet, though everytime my mouth opens my jaw clicks which is off putting
The right side of my mouth is still numb and a bit swollen inside and also my teeth dont meet properly (am getting a bit worried about what happens after the braces are off in 3 weeks)
I think the no chewing is to make sure the bones are healed properly and if there is in infection there (like in your case) the bones might not have healed like they should and the surgeons dont want you making things worse
Hope things get a little easier / better for you soon Lou
About week 5 of the no chew I discovered goat cheese on a spoon. I wrote poetry about it. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Literally. It was the best thing ever.
Now, I don't know if you actually like goat cheese, but it just dissolves on your tongue and I can almost guarantee that it is the most potent flavor you will have had in two months of no chew.
Go forth and purchase goat cheese!:)
[8 Months, 4 days with Braces]
Braces off 4/17/2008 - Rockstar!
as a result of all the infection and swelling etc. And i was wondering why my surgeon wont let me chew? What is the harm in chewing etc.
im actually "eating" not too badly, as ive discovered that many things are able to be swallowed with no chewing if you attack them with a fork first! So i have been able to have things like spagetti, baked beans, shephards pie etc its just that i miss chewing!
