Post Op Four Weeks and Counting

1. Pre Braces, 2. Year of Braces, 3. After Surgery

Today I had my four-week appointment with the jaw surgeon.  I waited for him in the waiting room patiently. One of his assistants came in and asked how I have been doing and if there was any pain. I told her that the only pain I had been experiencing was while I was wearing more than one rubber band. I recognized after I said it that the statement was not completely accurate. Though she understood that the clenched feeling would cause pain.

The truth is that there have been a variety of sensations I have been experiencing during this recovery. In the past few days, the variety of discomforts has included a feeling of pins and needles upon my chin, feeling a cold numb feeling on my lower lip and chin, and  numbness and pressure in my teeth, jaw and various places on my cheeks. I recognize that the worst experiences related to this surgery were over in the first 10 days.

The oral surgeon Dr. Stosich came in and took a look at the swelling. He said that it's looking very good and has gone down well. He expressed that my bite is positioned correctly and landing properly on the jaw splint attached to my top teeth. He also indicated that I can get the splint removed at my next appointment in two weeks. I am very excited to get this splint removed and return to chewing my food.