Lower Jaw Surgery: Bands of Doom

[anaxthema]

Hello everyone! I've been an on and off lurker of archwired since I was told by my ortho that I was a surgical case about a year ago.

I finally got a date, and had lower jaw surgery on the 3rd . It took about 45 minutes. The surgeon said everything went fantastic (supposedly. I was still stoned in the recovery room when he came by and don't remember anything.).

I'm not wired shut , but I am banded completely closed. I've been having a ridiculous amount of pain coming from what feels like my teeth. I’ve noticed that the bands holding my jaw shut are not only wrapped around the surgical hooks, but also on my bracket hooks where ortho elastics would go. It feels like the bands are ripping my teeth out of alignment. Everyday feels like I've just had a huge adjustment. I'm pretty sure they aren't supposed to be on my bracket hooks. I’ve been checking, and so far haven’t noticed any actual movement being caused by the evil bands.

I also have what feels like a deep ear ache in my right ear canal. My cheek/jaw muscles also feel stiff and achy like I’m clenching them, but I’m not. Every once in a while they'll spasm or jerk, and it will hurt like heck because it causes my lower jaw to yank on the stupid bands.

I'm just wondering if this is normal. Has anyone else experienced pain from the bands? I figure that the muscle aches in my jaws/cheeks are from having my jaw held closed and will be fine, but the hurting teeth are really bothering me. It's starting to freak me out a bit. I’m only four days out, and I’ve already used half the bottle of pain meds they gave me.

[I love my teeth]

what type of lower jaw surgery???? I think I need lower jaw advancement surgery--so just curious as to what you had!!

[anaxthema]

My paper works says it was called a mandibular osteotomy.

I had my lower jaw pushed back and moved a bit to the left to fix some asymmetry. Most of the people I've read about on here have it moved forward. My surgeon never meaured it out or told me- I'm going to move it exactly ___ mm here or here, he just lined it all up according to how the ortho had the splint set once he "got in there". I'm sure he'll be able to tell me at my check up.

[Folk Ballad]

Wow, that sounds exactly like what I had done on the 28th of May!
And your description sounds extremely close to what I've been dealing with too.

My teeth were (and still somewhat are) sore from being so tightly banded. Right now I still have some heavy bands on, but not nearly as much as the first five or six days after surgery. (And one of those bands is on an bracket hook rather than a surgical one.)

I also still have the ear pain at this point (presumably from the jaw joint), though it's in my left ear rather than my right and it still feels as though I'm clenching my teeth even though I'm not.

I'm not much of a crier, but I was crying in pain on the third day after surgery because just everything hurt so much, but things are gradually getting better day by day (though I did run out of ibuprofen at one point and had to buy another arsenal of it).

When the pain was really bad I had my mother call my oral surgeon and set up an appointment with him. He told me that I needn't be so tightly banded and loosened things up. Things got a lot better after that so maybe you could see if you could have your bands loosened/some removed?

Hopes things get better for you!

[anaxthema]

Thanks SO much for replying! I figured that the jaw stiffness was something most people felt, but I was getting discouraged not hearing about anyone elses teeth hurting or about more rubber band btching.

Gooood, I have an appointment with him coming up very soon, I will make him take off "the bands of doom" for something less brutal. I'm going to go hunt down some liquid motrin to tide me over.

[I love my teeth]

thanks, I was curious b/c so many people on here seem to be having maxilla surgeries, and they seem more involved and a harder recovery than just mandible surgeries!! I go for a surgical consult in July--I am hoping that he'll say "the movement from the braces is astounding, you really don't need the surgery!!" Fat chance I think, but I can hope!!

hope your recovery continues to go well!! I may tap you for more info after my consult!!

[anaxthema]

Bahaha, that's what we all wish for.

It's not a medically informed opinion, but I think surgery on the maxilla takes a tick more time to recover from because A. you're messing with the sinuses by moving it around, and B. because it's structurally supposed to be completely immobile unlike the mandible.

You can contact me anytime! I might not be too much help though. When I first started out with braces the ortho said it looked like I would need surgery on top and bottom. I was so glad at my first consult when the surgeon said bottom would do it, and complimented my upper midline. Then there was some insurance wrastlin, and the surgery happened. There wasn't much question asking, or compromise, or stalling. It all happened so fast. Suppose this means that if one has a fancy medical degree and promises me drugs, my compliance is easily granted. haha

[KELLYW123]

i had lower jaw moved forward on 5th June. I think I have similar experience to those described above- my jaw joint on the right has been aching constantly for the last 24hrs and pain killers arent helping.

I have an appointment with surgeon tomorrow and hope to get some reassurance on this issue.

[anaxthema]

So I went in for my first post-op check up appointment. I'm not getting the band of doom off until next Thursday and even then I'm only getting a "different" one. I told him my face... um HURTS from being stuck in the same position and asked him if he could just put in a looser one today ... annnd then he said no.... annd then I wanted to have a tantrum, but then he blocked my pity ploy by saying something about the bone healing properly and needing another surgery if they didn't blah blah blah blahh some what empty threats blah. It was truly masterful. I'm an now certain that he has children. Damn! My whining skills will be of no use here.

He did the "Pope hand" again. Third time. I thought that I had made a mistake when I grabbed his weakly offered hand for the first time at the consult. I was expecting a handshake, and instead found my self suffering through the distinct discomfort of having him squeeze it and then hold it there... like a dead bird. No. It was not my error. He does this with purpose, and there is no avoiding it. The hand just hangs here... barely offered, but still present commanding you by the forces of common courtesy to take it. Why? It is awkward.

On the bright side he sounded completely THRILLED with his handy work. "Perfect... perfect.... and perfect! It's just perfect!" He said, fondling my porcinep cheeks, and triple checking the alignment of the teeth. He asked me how I liked my new bite. I responded that I haven't been biting much lately so I wouldn't know. He shrugged and gave me I give up arms. I still can't get this damn band off! Agh! He may be a bit of a nerd, but he is an amazing surgeon. I'm really happy that my complete disregard for post surgery safety instructions, and those two days I was sick didn't interfere with healing.

I've got a little over one hit left of my smack. I don't need it. I went to get some much weaker over the counter stuff just to take the edge off, and all they had in liquid form was children's acetaminophen. Some sort of fancy word for "not aspirin". Anyway I have to take four doses (this is apparently my weight once converted to in baby drugs) of this nastiness which tastes like melted cotton candy. I'm sure the main ingredient is high fructose corn syrup and that it takes up 99.9% of the foul solution.

What kind of other oral suspension over the counter drugs has anyone else used? There has to be something else out there. Also, am I being a total tard over this banding issue? It's seriously driving me apesh*t. I used to pride myself on my level of pain tolerance, but this is just beyond my ability to deal with for another whole week. The muscles in my lower face are pretty much in a constant charlie horse like cramp and my teeth constantly ache. When they don't feel like they are being pulled out of my mouth slowly, they feel like they are being ground together in a vice. Out of all the pain/discomfort from the surgery, this has been the absolute worse of it.

Oh yah, the lingual side of my teeth is growing it's own little alpine belt complete with alien ecosystem. This is unacceptable, and I consider it cruel and unusual punishment.

[metoometoo]

Your post had me cracking up - not the pain part - but I loved your description of the OS fondling your cheeks complimenting himself on his handiwork.

Completely understand about the band-related pain. I don't consider myself to be a baby, but I was wailing earlier in the week about the agony I was in. I had my first post-op appt with the OS on Tuesday and he instantly said it wasn't my ear, sinuses, etc. it was the bands pulling unevenly on my left joint. He snipped the offender and it was instant relief for me. He then put me in an even crazier band configuration (I have one running around one of my brackets), but I have been relatively pain free ever since.

Try peroxyl for the destruction of your new ecosystem. I toss some in and just let it foam for a while. I can tell just how gross my mouth is by the amount of foaming that occurs. Looking rabid will provide some amusement.

[Twinjoy]

They do have liquid Tylenol for adults. They also have the meltaways if you can force your mouth open enough to squeeze one in and let it melt. I had the exact same pain in my ears and the doc didn't listen to my whining either...but he did give me a refill on my Percocet After I was done with the surgeons rubber bands I was just put on new ones with the ortho and I can honestly say they hurt worse then the surgeons rubber bands! In fact they hurt so bad that I have been awful about wearing them and am afraid I will get scolded when I go in to see them both in a week. Oh well, hopefully I didn't mess anything up to bad and I am sure I will keep having to wear them to make up for not wearing them but I was on vacation and didn't want to be in pain on vacation!

[DotCat]

Ok, I am joining the club here. My goddamn rubber bands hurt!

I have one twice twisted at the molars and two going from the molars to the hook in the midline. I can not even decide which ones hurt more.

[anaxthema]

HA HAAA! I have found my people ::Moses hands::. I knew I wasn't crazy (this time). I just have a single long band from hell wrapped all round everything. It actually snapped (SCORE!), but there are some tight loops holding the broken ends in place . Is vinegar bad for rubber integrity? Just asking, no reason.

I hope you get yours off soon! I've got my second appointment on Thursday. Oh, to be free. I'm tired of slowly starving (half lie: I’m fantastically thin and that counts for something.) In fact today when I noticed that I was salivating after I opened a can of cat food (ewwww), I decided that I was going to eat hamburger come hell or high water. I boiled the hell out of it, put it in the blender for five minutes, stuffed my cheeks with it, and pressed them until some went through my teeth. Success! It disturbs me that this was the pathetically and predictably the high point of my week.

[anaxthema]

Second appointment exactly the same as the first. He says three weeks tightly banded shut now, then two bands on the sides for three weeks. It went from one week banded shut-one week in elastics to this. If I would have known I wouldn't be able to talk or eat for this long I would have never agreed to the surgery with him. He made such a big fuss over how he doesn't believe in wiring. Well congratulations buddy! I hope the imaginary surgical high ground you've convinced yourself you live on feels great under your sainted feet, because at this point banding and wiring aren't any different. I want to stay positive but honestly I just wanted to cry on my way out of the office.

This whole time I have felt so lucky as I don't have any bruising nor numbness. I also figured that because of that and since it was only BSSO, and I am young the brunt of the healing time would be about a month. This is the healing time I made plans around. This is the healing time he said to expect. I've been up on my feet and back to normal since day 6, I just do not understand this 3 week business. When I asked he said, "oh well I guess we could do the appointments every TWO weeks if you'd like that instead." F-ck you. F-ck you hard. I hope one day you need to get jaw surgery, just so you can see what it feels like.

So I'm stuck here until the 16th of July. That’s over two months- GONE. Doing what? Noooooothing. A waste. Can't work (wouldn't it be a blast to be interviewed banded shut!). Can't eat. Can't drink. Can't go any where for longer than 5 days. Shouldn't smoke. I can't even sleep they way I want to. No one I know wants to waste their summer/days off work sitting around at someone’s house watching movies all day. Thanks guys, the support is astounding. I start the fall quarter on August 8. There goes the last summer of college I would have gotten to share with my friends. Thanks! No, I don't want to hear about the new apartment you're having a party at, or about your club hopping and hooking up, or about the super awesome vacations you are going on. Not right now. Anything but that right now. I don't need your help to feel like complete crap.

What frustrates me the most is that so many people have had more done, and have had a much harder time recovering, and yet they didn’t have to put up with this crap for six weeks. The whole banding/wiring system seems very screwy and arbitrary. He is the surgeon, so I have to believe that he knows what’s best- I just can't help but doubt him. At the end of the day I know whats best for me. It isn't he who is left feeling lonely, sick from being hungry, and exhausted. He can take vacation if he wants. Eat what he wants. Say what he wants. What's six weeks to him, but six insurance checks.



Bitter? Me?- nahhhh.

[anaxthema]

Ok, I'm over my pout, and I have shame for needing a whambulance. Ok that's a lie, I have no shame. Still ladies and gentlemen!!!1 The fact remains that bands, and I imagine being wired shut is complete crap. It's crap!

Maybe at this next appointment he'll take some x-rays, or check my stitches, or I don't know actually pretend to be an engaged memeber of this little dog and pony show (for all purposes, I am the pony. My name is clip-clop, and my mane is silky and sparkly, for I am a princess pony. But I am a sad princess pony, because I cannot eat carrots and apples like the other ponies. Such is my woe that all shall be trampled under my lacquered hooves and despair!)

Band-insanity had gotten me. All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl... except I'm not actually working as much as starving for french fries, complaining, and sitting on my ass. Whatever.