A year since bimax - still stiff/numb?

[redblondefox]

Hi all,

I haunted these boards in a constant state of fear and panic last summer after my bimax with palate expansion to correct an overbite/openbite/narrow palate. It was the scariest period of my life - ever.

Thankfully I can look back now with relief that it's behind me. However - I am still very numb on my bottom lip and chin and stiff. If I stretch my bottom lip in an expression like Wallace and Gromit character pull - it feels incredibly tight and stiff still. Is this normal a year on? It doesn't feel like it's improved much since day one. I have some sensation back in my bottom lip but not much which causes me to accidentally bite it when eating and food be sat on it without me knowing and occassional dribbling if I'm not careful!

I'm just a bit worried - I'm due for a rhinoplasty/sliding genio in September and was told it would stretch the nerve even more in my chin meaning permanent loss of feeling.

Argh - anyone out there been through something similar/have any advice for me? Thank you so much!

[redblondefox]

Bump...

[ReoSity]

Talk to your oral surgeon about it, it certainly doesn't sound normal. Partial numbness while not common, does occur with these types of surgeries but yours sounds more severe than that. And yes operating on the chin via a genio may worsen your nerve damage.

[peskywabbit]

that really doesn't sound normal. definitely talk with your dr about it. Good luck

[redblondefox]

Oh shizzle really? I thought that was normal!! I did ask him about it a month ago and he didn't seem concerned. Weird? It's the stiff feeling I can't stand the most. I wonder why that's happened? I did do a search on these boards and found some people had a similar thing two years post-op.

I better speak to him again - I just hope he doesn't cancel the chin op as a result or I'd be gutted. This doesn't affect my day to day - just the food thing as I mentioned. Bit embarrassing in a restaurant

Thanks for your replies.

[I love my teeth]

I am 7 months post op BSSO and i still have an area of numbness in my left lower lip and chin. I also still have some tightness inside my mouth......a bit hard to describe, but just a tightness. So, i am sure how abnormal it is red blonde fox! Best of luck, let me know what your doc says!

[Bullfighter]

I am 7 months post op BSSO and i still have an area of numbness in my left lower lip and chin. I also still have some tightness inside my mouth......a bit hard to describe, but just a tightness. So, i am sure how abnormal it is red blonde fox! Best of luck, let me know what your doc says!

I have the same, also tightness in my chin - 6 1/2 months post op.

I don't think it's abnormal.

[RMF7825]

Loss of sensation (numbness) is a risk of jaw surgery especially lower jaw. The genioplasty would increase this risk. It is a personal decision whether you feel the benefits outweigh the risks. Most people don't seem to have extensive long term numbness but it can happen. That being said, nerves take a very long time to regenerate so regaining sensation could still happen even years after the surgery. Do you do exercises?

[redblondefox]

Hi RMF7825 - I try to do those Wallace and Gromit type stretches but I'm not really sure what I can do? I sit at a desk all day with my headphones in so don't speak much until I get home

I have noticed more sensation coming back in my bottom lip in the past 2 weeks but it could be because I wrote this post and have been thinking about it more.

I definitely want the sliding genio done as my chin is teeny tiny and would look so much nice on profile extended. I understand this is going to knacker up the nerves more though. My surgeon did say it could be permanent after this....

Eeeep!! I just hope like you say it will take a few more years to get feeling back.

Is it possible that nerve damage can affect mouth movements and speech?

[RMF7825]

To the best of my knowledge, the risk is a loss of sensation, not movement of the muscles, lips etc. with these types of surgeries. You will know it is there, but no one else. Do a search for myofunctional therapy and/or oral motor therapy and you will find exercises that may help.

[RMF7825]

I've read that nerves regenerate at a rate of 1/2 cm per month so it takes a long time but it can happen dependent of course upon the extent of the damage. Also other nerves in the area can "take over" also to an extent.

[KOHAI]

Sliding genioplasties should not increase your numbness. There's always a chance your nerve may be damaged during the exposure and the bone cut but I believe few oral surgeons have numbness after this procedure. There are definitely ways to avoid the nerve during the exposure and the bone cut.

If you're really scared, you can consider getting a chin implant which limits the potential nerve damage to just the exposure of your chin.

Hope this helps.

[Bullfighter]

Any updates? I still have the annoying stiffness after 7 months.

[I love my teeth]

Bullfighter.....

I would say that more recently I started to feel a bit more normal inmterms of stiffness, my right side is still worse than my left...but it doesn't hurt as much when I yawn or open wide now....so that's an improvement. Very little Change if any in the numbness....only on the left side....certainly nothing I can't live with, but I wish it would heal up......there's still time! How about you?

Should be getting debraced in about a month, so looking forward to that after 2.5 years!

Glad to hear i am not the only one still experiencing issues!

[Bullfighter]

Bullfighter.....

I would say that more recently I started to feel a bit more normal inmterms of stiffness, my right side is still worse than my left...but it doesn't hurt as much when I yawn or open wide now....so that's an improvement. Very little Change if any in the numbness....only on the left side....certainly nothing I can't live with, but I wish it would heal up......there's still time! How about you?

Should be getting debraced in about a month, so looking forward to that after 2.5 years!

Glad to hear i am not the only one still experiencing issues!

2.5 years is a long time in braces... I guess I started paying more attention to the numbness and tightness after my braces came off because I was expecting to feel more normal. Also I figured that by 7 months everything should be healed.

Numbness is worse on the left side of my chin, not so bad on the right; lower lip isn't bad, slightly numb on the left side although I would describe it more as "impaired feeling" than total numbness.

Still wish it didn't feel like I was wearing a chin 'cup' like on an American football helmet...