Metal Mouth Message Board

alright so I've underwent lefort 1 surgery this past june and so far healing process is coming along fairly well. have had a few minor bumps in the road but it seems to be coming together now. i know have another question.

I have discovered that when i sleep on my stomach and apply pressure to my face (head on the pillow) my jaw aches and it gets progessively worse until i switch over to the side or my back. At this stage of the game should i be remotely worried? I have an apt coming up with my surgeon later on this month and was going to bring that up to him and see what he thinks but wanted to get some opinions on here as well?

so thoughts anyone?

I had lower, upper and genio on July 22nd and have caught myself sleeping with my face in pillow and yes had some soreness. I have trained myself to keep my arm propped under so there is no direct pressure. I think we are still healing. I find after all this time I still feel my jaw "slip". I have read that this is muscle memory. As time goes by it happens less frequently, so my hope is for you too, that this pain in your jaw when you sleep will slowly go away as well. Post what your doctor's opinion is...I'm curious.

Hi, I don't sleep on my stomach but love sleeping on my side. I have that problem with my lower jaw it aches/hurts when I sleep on my side. Sometimes I can sleep on my side if I have the presure of my face just right. But for the most part I have to sleep on my back.

I had upper & lower Jaw surgery. In my case it's my lower Jaw gives me problems when I sleep. I think it's because the fixture\hardware there are big and not enough bone growth to cover it or cushion it yet. I had my surgery late July.

Don't think you should be worried, but bring it up to your surgeon.

You shouldn't sleep on your stomach anyway; it's bad for your back!

thannks everyone for your posts, that makes me feel a bit better know knowing that there are people out there who are dealing with the same thing. i tend to roll around alot when i sleep so i sometimes find myself in the morning laying on my stomach and have lots of pain. I'll be asking the surgeon about it on the 20th and i'll let you all know what he says.

another question
does anyone find that sometimes they get this tingly pain sensation sometimes in their upper lip? I'm assuming this is part of nerve damage but jut wondering when it will go away? it doesn't happen all the time but when it does it makes me shutter and jump out of my skin (k not literally but you get the picture).

going in for impression and x rays on monday so i'll bring up both thngs to my ortho and then again to the surgeon when i see him on the 20th!!! thaks again everyone!

Hi BB, I'm so glad that things are going well for you!
It sounds like everything you're experiencing is normal. I sleep on my side and had experienced the same thing if I slept w/too much pressure on my jaws.
Tingles are going to come and go for awhile. Even after a year, sometimes I'll get an intense tingle but lately it's only been in one area of my lower jaw. I guess as long as I'm feeling tingles, that's a good thing )

Best wishes on your continued excellent recovery!

I would ask my surgeon about that one, june was a LONG time ago. but im sure its nothing too bad!

thanks everyone:) glad to have this site for sure! I think we have everyying under control pretty good so I'm happy about that! its nice to have this site to go to when you got a question on your mind

okay another question but i think i already know the answer lol

1. I have a space on my upper top left hand corner (it will eventually hold an implanted tooth but for right now its just a space). I'm wondering something and not sure if other have ever been down this road (but i suspect ther has to be some people out there) when you bite down if you get like a pressure feeling on the side where the tooth is missing. Its not painful by all means it just feels funny. I'm thinking it might be because i'm still trying to get used to the fact that all my teeth are touching now whereas before only the back teeth touched down. I'm also thinking it feels a bit weird on that side because of the space and because of some possible nerve damage from surgery. thoughts? I'm not overally conerned but its been lingering in my mind the past few weeks. I plan to bring this all up at the ortho visit i have tomorrow (impressions lol yuck but yay at the same time).

thanks everyone again!! your all wonderful!

Hi BB,
I am experiencing the same tingly-nerve sensation on my bottom left jaw. I am 5 and a 1/2 months post-op. I have been to dentist and had a filling done but still the same feeling. I am now wondering if I need a root canal. I am going to call my regular dentist as my ortho told me there was a way to determine. I will say, however, that one of the teeth feel like it has shifted since surgery-I think my lower jaw was cut in the area. The other explaination, for me anyway, is that I think I have another screw lose on that side. If you re-call-I already have had 6 screws in front and chin plate removed. At that time one surgeon said he thought back should come out and my primary surgeon said no. Having back screws out require in-hospital surgery and front chin plate and screws was done in office. Any way, I am still getting post-op swelling on bottom jaw line-same place all the time-like a goiter. Surgeon orginally said re-occuring infection and now physical therapist said I injured my jaw muscle. They are both nuts because when I look on jaw line there is a swollen, red mass-just like when the front screws were coming out. I am calling surgeon again today for another appointment today. I was just there last week. He doesnt' do an internal check of mouth-just verbal-how is it going? Getting a little frustrated at the set-backs but just want to be finished with post-op care. I am, however, very pleased with the results and ortho ready to take braces off but is apprehensive due to post-op complications and limited jaw mobility. Hope your recovery continues positively but there are set-backs I guess-I know-lol. Continued thoughts and blessings for all of us traveling through this journey!

hey all!

were good to go ahead with debracing however the surgeon was notified of the weird pressure feeling and will be keeping a close eye on it to make sure it doens't develop into anything else!!! so excited for monday!!!!!!! got my stack load of gum and chicken wings and gummie candy all readmy y!!! Got the impressions done yesterday and then had the wires put back on. A weird thought: the wire doesn't go all the way back to the back teeth anymore! so wierd but i guess this is how much my lower jaw has expanded from the surgery!!! so crazy!!! gotta take some pics! my poor gums weren't very happy about the whole change and no wires on the back there but they'll get over it. hopefully the gums will be happier and less angry when they all come off. I have the salt water on hand though just ij case!!!

busy week next week in the world of teeth for me
Monday: debracing day!!
Tuesday: retainer placement
Wed: Dentist apt and cleaning
Thursday: surgeon apt check up!!!


6 days!!!!

trish222 wrote:Hi BB,
I am experiencing the same tingly-nerve sensation on my bottom left jaw. I am 5 and a 1/2 months post-op. I have been to dentist and had a filling done but still the same feeling. I am now wondering if I need a root canal. I am going to call my regular dentist as my ortho told me there was a way to determine. I will say, however, that one of the teeth feel like it has shifted since surgery-I think my lower jaw was cut in the area. The other explaination, for me anyway, is that I think I have another screw lose on that side. If you re-call-I already have had 6 screws in front and chin plate removed. At that time one surgeon said he thought back should come out and my primary surgeon said no. Having back screws out require in-hospital surgery and front chin plate and screws was done in office. Any way, I am still getting post-op swelling on bottom jaw line-same place all the time-like a goiter. Surgeon orginally said re-occuring infection and now physical therapist said I injured my jaw muscle. They are both nuts because when I look on jaw line there is a swollen, red mass-just like when the front screws were coming out. I am calling surgeon again today for another appointment today. I was just there last week. He doesnt' do an internal check of mouth-just verbal-how is it going? Getting a little frustrated at the set-backs but just want to be finished with post-op care. I am, however, very pleased with the results and ortho ready to take braces off but is apprehensive due to post-op complications and limited jaw mobility. Hope your recovery continues positively but there are set-backs I guess-I know-lol. Continued thoughts and blessings for all of us traveling through this journey!

hope you get back on track with your recovery soon!!!! sending healing happy thoughts to you!