Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello,

I am sceduled to get my lower jaw advanced 7 mm on Aug.14. Im 26 year old male. How long before I will be able to start playing ice hockey again (non contact but there is always incidental contact)? The Orthdontist told me after 6 weeks the jaw will be as strong as it is going to get( but under the microscope it will take about a year to fully heal). I have been reading around here and these posts are making this surgery seem like it will take a lot longer to heal from.

My son was unable to participate in gym class for 8 weeks, but after that he could go back to full activities. (except if it was something like wrestling.)

6 weeks seems a bit soon - especially for a sport like hockey where an upward blow to the chin or jaw can easily occur. My son was told about 12 weeks before full activity - at 6 weeks his surgeon would not even let him go to a water park!

Yes, the jaw heals "for the most part" in 6 weeks. However, as you've been told it can take upwards of a year for total healing.

If you would like me to be blunt...I think you'd be CRAZY to play hockey anything within 3 months of surgery. However, I admit I am ultra conservative with something like this.

Why risk any inadvertent contact or having something happen? I know you will miss the activity while you heal, but it isn't worth having to go through another procedure, is it?

I am just giving you my opinion. Ultimately, you should ask your OS and do whatever you are comfortable with.

Well 8 weeks is certainly better then 12 weeks. i was hopping to play this year it starts at the end of september( exactly 6 weeks from my surgery). Maybe I can miss the first few weeks and be good to go. I hope Im a fast healer. I was not really nervous about this surgery until yeterday when I found this site. I talked to my orthodontist and he even said after 2 weeks I can be in the gym working out. He must be a very optomistic person.

chicago29 wrote:Yes, the jaw heals "for the most part" in 6 weeks. However, as you've been told it can take upwards of a year for total healing.

If you would like me to be blunt...I think you'd be CRAZY to play hockey anything within 3 months of surgery. However, I admit I am ultra conservative with something like this.

Why risk any inadvertent contact or having something happen? I know you will miss the activity while you heal, but it isn't worth having to go through another procedure, is it?

I am just giving you my opinion. Ultimately, you should ask your OS and do whatever you are comfortable with.

I definetly dont want to have another procedure. I want to be careful and if at 6 weeks I know im not good to go then I wont play. I was just thinking if the Jaw is as strong as it is going to get after 6 weeks then I should be able to play.....as long as I could tolerate any pain that occurs. That could be all wishful thinking because before I came to this forum yesterday I was thinking I would be basically back to normal after a couple weeks except with some jaw pain.

The bone may be relatively hardened in six weeks but full muscle adaptation won't be close to completed that soon. Muscle helps to protect bone from injuries. I'd wait at least four months.