Metal Mouth Message Board

Okay, so I am 10 days away from a BSSO and Lefort 1 with a "maybe" on the genioplasty. I'm emotionally and physically ready for this and found the form members a big help along the so-far 23 months of orthodontics.

Here's my most recent topic to obsess over: After the immediate post-op period and when you have your mouth somewhat back to a workable body part, what does that significantly changed bite feel like? Do you have to get used to not (as in my case) consciously moving my lower jaw forward (if I'm awake and fully conscious) to compensate for the severe overjet and overbite?

I can't image that part of it yet. . . no. What does it feel like for your teeth to meet properly and for your wee tongue to have enough room in there to be a happy body part?

I'm serious. I can't get a sense of that.

The underside of the splint that will line your upper arch will have grooves for your new lower bite to rest in, and the rubber bands you'll be in will help hold it there. By the time you aren't wearing the splint any more your jaw will have adjusted to the new position and you won't even be thinking about it.

I didn't have a splint and was only fitted with very light elastics for the first week. I could move my jaw but not much.
My tongue felt huge and the inside of my mouth was swollen so it was very awkward.
Then on day 6 I was fitted with very tight elastics because I had been retracting my lower jaw (a habit I'd formed from years of masking my underbite). I spent the whole day tensing my jaw and fighting the elastics, but they won in the end (they were removed yesterday thank god)

I think that it is a very unusual sensation. Even now 9 days post op, my new bite still feels alien and sometimes I think "I don't know where to hold my jaw or bite down"
My surgeon says that my muscles need to lead their new position and it an take time.

At 9 days post op I only have light box elastics at the sides and I put on two tighter elastics on at night. I can open my jaw already by two fingers and have found that the more I talk and smile the quicker I regain control over my lips and jaws.

In my experience, you do need to learn to use your mouth again, but the elastics will guide you

I'm almost 6 weeks post op and it's all starting to feel more normal...just! I had my upper and lower jaw advanced.

Up until now I felt as if I was wearing mouth guards in my mouth but it's actually my teeth. I felt as if my teeth and jaws were too big for my face. I have no swelling or numbness inside my mouth at all (my lower lip and chin is another story). I have trouble closing my mouth so I've been drooling a lot. In fact everytime I bend down to pat my pet rabbit, I drool on him (which he doesn't enjoy). My upper lip has to strain hard to reach my lower kip which makes talking difficult.

The good thing is that every day I wake up...it gets better and the time has gone so fast! Only yesterday I was freaking out about the surgery and now it's all over and well behind me. Attitude is everything and I've had to occasionally stop myself from indulging in self pity and doubt(although well deserved).

Good luck to all of you who have yet to take the journey. It's only a short term discomfort for a long term gain. I know that I would have regretted it if I hadn't done it.

I love my bite...in a way. As far as closing my jaw, it feels right for the first time in my life. My teeth are still situated really wrong, though. No molars meet at all. There's nothing to "get used to". From the first time they loosened the elastics enough to open and close a little, I loved it. Even with the splint off and the goofy teeth-meeting, my jaw is so happy to pop right closed. I wouldn't stress about how the bite will feel.