Wow, wonderful, Bullfighter! So glad to hear! Thank you for keeping us posted on it as well. I will now know not to fret and to give it time once I am on the other side! Very helpful.
hey good job! My new ortho measured me at 38mm last week, about 14weeks post. We have been moving for the last 2-3 weeks, and quite honestly, I did nothing in terms of stretching, ect. I figure that last little bit should come eventually. He was checking my TMJ muscles for tightness as well, if we can release some of those, maybe the last bit of range of motion will come! But I ate some steak and I can bite into a burger pretty normally now, so I'm pretty happy!
I love my teeth wrote:hey good job! My new ortho measured me at 38mm last week, about 14weeks post. We have been moving for the last 2-3 weeks, and quite honestly, I did nothing in terms of stretching, ect. I figure that last little bit should come eventually. He was checking my TMJ muscles for tightness as well, if we can release some of those, maybe the last bit of range of motion will come! But I ate some steak and I can bite into a burger pretty normally now, so I'm pretty happy!
I also did nothing in terms of stretching. I still do have the tightness you mention so I think it's just natural healing.
One thing, for anyone about to have surgery, might be to measure how far you open prior to surgery. I didn't do that, so don't really have a baseline.
I just had a visit with the os yesterday. I am 7 weeks post op (bsso 6 mm) I was expecting the splint to come out yesterday but he said I have to wait another week. He wasn't happy with the amount I could open my jaw. I am below 25mm. He gave me a set of tongue depressers to use In stretching my mouth. The thing is is that when I add the tongue depressors (basically Popsicle sticks) In a stack to stretch my mouth I get a sharp pain in the side of my face where my jaw connects to my skull...not an area he was doing surgery on. I'm not sure if this is normal, and if I should just push through the pain. Does any one know? It's only on one side.
Oh yes....the dreaded pain...those are the very aggravated tmj muscles you are trying to stretch. Expect it, I still get it from tome to time. If you look up pics of those muscles, it is most likely temporalis and masseter. try warm compresses before stretching. Suffer through the pain a bit to gain the range of motion. Otherwise it may be physical therapy down the road to stretch. Good luck!
juneyer wrote:I just had a visit with the os yesterday. I am 7 weeks post op (bsso 6 mm) I was expecting the splint to come out yesterday but he said I have to wait another week. He wasn't happy with the amount I could open my jaw. I am below 25mm. He gave me a set of tongue depressers to use In stretching my mouth. The thing is is that when I add the tongue depressors (basically Popsicle sticks) In a stack to stretch my mouth I get a sharp pain in the side of my face where my jaw connects to my skull...not an area he was doing surgery on. I'm not sure if this is normal, and if I should just push through the pain. Does any one know? It's only on one side.
hey bud, just to let you know, since we had ours on the same day, i can only open about 25 mm as well. i'm kind of frustrated with it too, but glad to hear i'm not alone there. don't see my surgeon for another couple of weeks but i imagine i'll be getting some exercises too i guess.
I love my teeth wrote:Otherwise it may be physical therapy down the road to stretch. Good luck!
I am definitely going to work through the pain then. My os is very uninformative. If I don't think to ask him he doesn't tell me. And of course I then have questions on the weekend. I was worried that the pain might not have been normal because it was only on one side...btw my jaw would lock up on the same side..which is how this whole braces/surgery journey started for me 18 months ago.
